Remembering the Epic Uprising at Bautzen Prison: Reliving the "Yellow Misery"
- Commemorative Event for the Bautzen Prison Riot
Let's take a trip down memory lane, as we delve into the infamous prisoner uprising that shook the walls of Bautzen Prison, 75 years ago. This Sunday, March 30th, the Bautzen Committee, consisting of veterans from the North and South prisons, will gather at the Karnickelberg cemetery to commemorate this significant event and bolster our collective resolve. Saxony's Minister of Justice, Constanze Geiert (CDU), will grace the event with her presence too.
The uprising was sparked by a desperate plea for better living conditions, as the DDR authorities took over the prison following thehandover from the Soviet occupying power. Approximately 6,000 inmates, hoping for improved conditions and the easing of arbitrary sentences, were instead met with worsening conditions under the People's Police command.
The turning point came when improvements were slow in coming, despite a mass hunger strike weeks prior. The uprising finally ignited on March 31, 1950 – the first such occurrence in the DDR – and was swiftly and brutally suppressed by the authorities. Unfortunate souls were made to run the gauntlet through police lines; vicious dogs were let loose upon the protestors, causing numerous injuries, and hundreds were confined to solitary confinement.
The Bautzen Committee was born forty years later, on March 31, 1990, standing up for justice and championing the rights of those who stood up against the oppressive regime.
- prisoner uprising
- DDR
- Bautzen
- memorial event
- Saxony
- Constanze Geiert
- CDU
Historically, Bautzen Prison, often referred to as "yellow misery" on account of its yellow walls, served as a grim reminder of the political oppression experienced by the masses in East Germany. The prison, one of the most notorious in the GDR, held numerous prominent figures who opposed the regime.
Today, Bautzen Prison has been turned into a memorial site, the Bautzen Memorial, preserving the history of imprisonment and oppression under the GDR's regime, with exhibitions and cell reconstructions available for visitors. Among the notable figures who spent time in Bautzen was Ernst Thälmann, a German communist leader, although his association with Bautzen is more closely tied with the Nazi regime versus a specific uprising in the GDR era.
As we stand united this Sunday, we honor the brave souls who fought for justice during their time in Bautzen, and bear witness to a dark chapter in our shared history.
- The prisoner uprising at Bautzen Prison, referred to as the "Yellow Misery," was a significant event that took place in East Germany under DDR authorities, where approximately 6,000 inmates protested for improved conditions and the easing of arbitrary sentences.
- Saxony's Minister of Justice, Constanze Geiert (CDU), will attend the commemorative event organized by the Bautzen Committee, marking the anniversary of the uprising that shook the infamous Bautzen Prison.
- Today, Bautzen Prison has been transformed into a memorial site, the Bautzen Memorial, serving as a reminder of the oppressive regime's history of political imprisonment in East Germany, with exhibitions and cell reconstructions available for visitors.
