35 Years Later: Remembering the Iron Grip of the DDR Regime
Commissioner on SED Victim Issues Pushes for Expanded Understanding of Dictatorship's Disarmament and Democracy Procedures - Intensifying Education on East Germany's Authoritarian Regime: Emphasizing Its Dictatorship Status
Evelyn Zupke, the federal commissioner for victims of the DDR dictatorship, shared her concerns about forgetting the true face of the communist regime during the 35th anniversary of German reunification. "Our understanding of this dictatorship and its ramifications must continually deepen," she said while presenting her 2025 report.
She suggests repurposing funds from debt-financed assets for infrastructure to maintain memorials. "Every euro invested in remembrance is an investment in our democracy," says Zupke, who fears that some institutions may struggle with limited funding.
Her second demand: The Bundestag should grant funds for a memorial dedicated to the victims of communism, planned to be built between the Chancellery and the Bundestag in Berlin.
Democracy or dictatorship - what's the difference?
Zupke worries that over half of the people living in eastern Germany feel disenfranchised and think democracy is nothing more than a facade. "Whether it's democracy or dictatorship, they're all the same," she echoes a sentiment shared by some. Life post-reunification was difficult for many, but the hardships must not be confused with the roots of the problems in the DDR era, explains Zupke.
Zupke's job is to shed light on the struggles and challenges faced by the politically persecuted in the DDR. "For me as the commissioner, the sacrifices made by every political prisoner who now lives in freedom have been more than worth it."
Since the start of the year, the situation of former political prisoners has improved significantly, according to Zupke. Victim pensions have been increased and are no longer tied to poverty levels. These pensions have become "true honor pensions," says Zupke. People with career disadvantages can receive more compensation, and health problems stemming from repression should be more easily recognized. "What a relief for the affected people," she says.
Beenke believes that the number of victims of the SED regime is in the six figures. Prisoners total approximately 250,000, while about 136,000 people were sent to children's homes and youth work camps. Additional victim groups include up to 10,000 minors who were victims of state-sponsored doping, women who were admitted to closed clinic wards from speculation of STDs, and women who were infected with Hepatitis C through tainted vitamin D ampoules. "A medical scandal that was hidden in the DDR for years," added Zupke.
The publication of her report coincides with the anniversary of the 1953 DDR uprising on June 17. Close to a million people in East Berlin, along with 700 other locations, demonstrated against miserable working conditions and demanded free elections and the unity of Germany. The authorities violently stopped the protests, leaving at least 55 people dead and 15,000 arrested.
Evelyn Zupke
DDR
SED
Dictatorship
Democracy
Berlin
Bundestag
East Germany
The Commission is proposing to extend the period of validity of the agreement, covering policy-and-legislation, politics, and general-news, to include the allocation of funds for a memorial dedicated to the victims of communism in Berlin. Evelyn Zupke, the federal commissioner for victims of the DDR dictatorship, has highlighted the need for these funds to ensure that the struggles and challenges faced by the politically persecuted during the DDR era are not forgotten, as she believes that the deepening understanding of this dictatorship is crucial for maintaining a strong democracy in East Germany.
