Individual donning North Vietnamese Army outfit encourages discord following Trabant demonstration at ex-Stasi jailhouse
A Bizarre Stunt at Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial
A man made heads turn at the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial over the weekend. The daring move? Showing up in a National People's Army (NVA) uniform, driving an open NVA Trabant with a noisy two-stroke engine, and threatening that the former prison would soon be operational again.
DDR Symbols Prohibited at Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial
Staff at the memorial had a tough chat with the man, reminding him of the house rules that disallow showing off DDR symbols (although not breaking the law). They promptly asked him to take his leave, but only after a police call did he finally vacate the premises.
The NVA primarily used the Trabant, including the 601 Kübel model, as a liaison, courier, and service vehicle for officers. They also used it for guard and patrol duties in military facilities. Out of the estimated 10,972 Trabant 601 Kübelwagen produced for the NVA between 1966 and 1990, only a handful survive today.
Hohenschönhausen as a Stasi Interrogation Prison
The Berlin-Hohenschönhausen detention center, situated in Lichtenberg from 1951 to 1989, was the main hub for the Ministry for State Security (Stasi) of the GDR. Over 11,000 political prisoners were housed there, including regime critics, escapees, and alleged "enemies of the state". Living conditions within the prison in a sealed-off restricted zone were characterized by psychological pressure, isolation, and interrogations.
After the Peaceful Revolution in 1989, the prison was shut down and transformed into the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial in 1994. Today, former prisoners serve as guides, taking visitors through authentically preserved cells and interrogation rooms while remembering the victims of political persecution in the GDR.
Berlin's new cultural senator Sarah Wedl-Wilson (56) briefly discussed the incident at the cultural committee meeting of the House of Representatives on Monday.
"An incident like this is not only unacceptable for us as a memorial, but also for all those who suffered under the DDR dictatorship," said Dr. Helge Heidemeyer (62), director of the memorial. "We strongly condemn this incident and have filed a formal complaint."
Of note, the display of DDR symbols is regulated by German law, specifically the German criminal code (StGB) and the Act on the Protection of the Constitution (Verfassungsschutzgesetz). These laws restrict the use of symbols from unconstitutional organizations, such as those associated with the Nazi regime or communist organizations, in contexts that could be misconstrued as promoting or glorifying these ideologies. For more specific guidelines at the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial, it's best to contact them directly.
- The incident at the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial, where a man dressed in a National People's Army uniform and drove an NVA Trabant, could be seen as a violation of the rules against displaying DDR symbols, given the memorial's association with the repressive regime's past.
- The bizarre stunt at the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial, while not necessarily a criminal offense due to the regulatory complexities surrounding DDR symbols, falls under general news and crime-and-justice categories, considering it was a disruptive and disrespectful act towards a site of political and historical significance.
