Just another Vergangenheitsbewältigung? The Process of Coming to Terms with the East German Past Revisited

ISSN： 1745-9214

Source： Oxford German Studies, Vol.38, Iss.3, 2009-12, pp. : 334-344

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Abstract

In the late 1990s, the process of coming to terms with the GDR past was generally perceived as a success both inside and outside Germany. A decade later, criticisms seem to outweigh positive assessments. In particular, critics point to the rosy picture many people — especially among the young — have of the GDR, the relatively low number of convictions of perpetrators, and, not least, the increasingly assertive stance of former servants of the SED regime, ex-Stasi in particular. This essay examines some of the shared presuppositions — and blind spots — in the recent debates both with regard to the East German past and to the process of coming to terms with it. It also offers a brief reassessment of the process of Aufarbeitung, concentrating on questions of justice, democracy-strengthening and social cohesion. The essay concludes that most recent criticisms are overdrawn, especially if one compares the East German experience to that of other post-communist states in the region.