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The Sabrow-Kommission

‘Empfehlung der Expertenkommission zur Schaffung eines Geschichtsverbundes “Aufarbeitung der SED Diktatur”’. The Sabrow-Kommission. Presentation outline. Basics of the Sabrow-Kommission Aims of the Sabrow-Kommission Which institutions were reviewed ?

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The Sabrow-Kommission

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  1. ‘Empfehlung der Expertenkommission zur Schaffung eines Geschichtsverbundes “Aufarbeitung der SED Diktatur”’ The Sabrow-Kommission After the Wall: http://afterthewall.bangor.ac.uk

  2. Presentation outline • Basics of the Sabrow-Kommission • Aims of the Sabrow-Kommission • Which institutions were reviewed? • Which deficits did the Sabrow-Kommission identify? • Dictatorship vs. everyday • Conclusions of the Sabrow-Kommission • Useful sources After the Wall: http://afterthewall.bangor.ac.uk

  3. Basics of the Sabrow-Kommission • The Sabrow-Kommission took place between May 2005 and May 2006. • Its overarching aim was to look at existing institutions which aim to work through the SED dictatorship and make recommendations for improvements. • The Sabrow-Kommission consisted of specialist historians, political scientists and journalists. After the Wall: http://afterthewall.bangor.ac.uk

  4. The aims of the Sabrow-Kommission The Sabrow-Kommission aimed to create a concept for a historical network on working through the SED dictatorship, with a particular focus on resistance and opposition. The concept was intended to be decentralised, so not connected to a political agenda. It was intended to ensure the continuing development of existing institutions so that educational and remembrance sites were linked more closely to form a cooperative network. Importantly, it was not intended to create new institutions. After the Wall: http://afterthewall.bangor.ac.uk

  5. Which institutions were reviewed? • The Federal Commissioner for the Stasi Archives (Bundesbeauftragte für die Stasi-Unterlagen) • The Federal Foundation for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship (Bundesstiftung zur Aufarbeitung der SED-Diktatur) • Historical museums (Stiftung Haus der Geschichte der Bundesrepublik Deutschland / Zeitgeschichtliches Forum Leipzig) • The Berlin-Hohenschönhausen memorial (Stiftung Gedenkstätte Berlin-Hohenschönhausen) • The Berlin Wall Memorial Site (Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer) or the Stasi museum (Forschungs- und Gedenkstätte Normannenstraβe) After the Wall: http://afterthewall.bangor.ac.uk

  6. What deficits did the Sabrow-Kommission identify? (1) • GDR history is an issue which should be dealt with by Germany as a whole – it is rarely seen as such in western Germany. • The concept of the GDR dictatorship has been increasingly trivialised in recent media representations, which serves to degrade victims of the regime. • A lack of teaching about the GDR in schools: it often takes a backseat despite the wealth of materials that are on offer. After the Wall: http://afterthewall.bangor.ac.uk

  7. Which deficits did the Sabrow-Kommission identify? (2) • Some institutions are short of financial funds, and also lack networking and professionalism when it comes to discussing the GDR. • A lack of common strategy for the future development of institutional and thematic debates on the GDR, on a national and regional level. • Current official documentation prioritises state repression over resistance and opposition, ideology and party governance, as well as everyday lives. After the Wall: http://afterthewall.bangor.ac.uk

  8. Dictatorship vs. Everyday One of the most significant recommendations of the Sabrow-Kommission related to the balance between dictatorship and the everyday in educational and memorial sites. The Kommission proposed that there was too much focus on the oppressive nature of the state, and not enough on resistance and everyday life. This means that currently, the everyday functioning of the GDR and individuals’ everyday experiences are not overtly visible, and therefore that portrayals of the GDR are one-sided. After the Wall: http://afterthewall.bangor.ac.uk

  9. The conclusions of the Sabrow-Kommission The Sabrow-Kommission recommends that the historical network uses the following themes to work through GDR history: • Herrschaft-Gesellschaft-Widerstand (Regime-Society-Resistance) • Überwachung und Verfolgung (Surveillance and Persecution) • Grenze und Teilung (Borders and Division) This approach paves the way for understanding the multiple perspectives which make up the history of the GDR. After the Wall: http://afterthewall.bangor.ac.uk

  10. Useful sources • A full version of the report can be found at: http://www.stiftung-aufarbeitung.de/downloads/pdf/sabrow-bericht.pdf. This presentation has focused primarily on the information outlined on pp. 1, 4, 12-13 and 20-21 of the report. After the Wall: http://afterthewall.bangor.ac.uk

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