1st event in the series “After National Socialism, a Second German Dictatorship? On the Enforcement of Dictatorship in the GDR”
After National Socialism, a second German dictatorship? (IN GERMAN) How was it possible that, after the dark times of fascism, a second dictatorship followed seamlessly—one extending from the other, as Herta Müller writes: “Fascism into Stalinism, after Stalin’s death in 1953 into post-Stalinism, which until 1989 was called the building of socialism.”
Image gallery
Stasi-Zentrale. Campus für Demokratie
To understand the withdrawal of the people and the seemingly limited resistance, one must understand the methods through which the dictatorship was enforced. The SED henchmen imposed the dictatorship of the proletariat with severity. Those who resisted were undermined, imprisoned, expelled, sentenced, and executed. In 1950, the Soviet Union reintroduced the death penalty. Until Stalin’s death in 1953, more than 1,000 death sentences were imposed and carried out in central Germany. One victim was the student Herbert Belter, to whom this series is dedicated. How did the system of repression in the GDR function, and what role do the Stasi records still play today in coming to terms with the SED dictatorship?
The opening event of the series “After National Socialism, a Second German Dictatorship?” sheds light on the mechanisms of enforcing the dictatorship and the significance of the Stasi Records Archive for remembrance, research, and justice.
With Evelyn Zupke, Lars Rohwer (MdB), and Alexandra Titze, distinguished experts from politics, victim representation, and archival work discuss historical responsibility and current challenges in addressing the past.
Additional information
Participating artists
Evelyn Zupke
Lars Rohwer
Alexandra Titze
Dates
February 2026
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