Archives as places of remembrance and democracy education
(The files belong to us!) In September 1990, civil rights activists occupied the former Stasi headquarters in Berlin-Lichtenberg. They demanded that the files be opened and preserved, emphasising their value for reappraisal, research and democracy education. With this in mind, civil rights archives were established both before and in the years that followed, preserving and making accessible the experiences of opposition and resistance from their own perspective.
Image gallery
Campus für Demokratie, Vogelperspektive
We ask how such archives have become places of democratic self-understanding – and what role they play today in remembrance, research, education and the shaping of a democratic present.
In addition to German civil rights archives and state institutions that preserve evidence of opposition and resistance and make the value of freedom and civil courage tangible, we also focus on the Russian human rights organisation MEMORIAL, which today, in exile from Germany, educates people about the Soviet dictatorship and fights for a democratic Russia.
All institutions will introduce themselves in a guided tour.
Programme
Welcome
Michael Heinisch-Kirch, Chairman of the Board, Robert Havemann Society
From table to table: archives introduce themselves
- Leipzig Civil Rights Movement Archive
- Federal Foundation for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship
- Federal Archives – Stasi Records Archive
- Robert Havemann Society
- Thuringian Archive for Contemporary History ‘Matthias Domaschk’
- Future MEMORIAL e. V.
- Christoph Stamm, Archive Director, Robert Havemann Society
- Diana Stiehl, Project Assistant, Leipzig Citizens' Movement Archive
- Dr Rüdiger Stutz, Board Member of the Thuringian Archive for Contemporary History ‘Matthias Domaschk’ Artists for Others e.V.
- Elena Zhemkova, Managing Director of Zukunft MEMORIAL e.V.
Opportunity for exchange and discussion at a small reception
The evening will be moderated by Charlott Hallier, political journalist at RTL Hauptstadtstudio.
Organiser: Robert Havemann Society e. V.
This event is part of the series of events on the Forum Opposition and Resistance, with further events on 9 October and 13 November 2025.
Additional information
Transport connections: U5, Magdalenenstraße
Dates
September 2025
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