Rolle rückwärts DDR?

Katja Adler is a member of the German Bundestag. In her book, she addresses current developments in the Federal Republic that remind her of her first 15 years of life in the GDR. A GDR where political freedom of opinion and travel were restricted, and surveillance, control, and a lack of goods were the order of the day.

With her personal memories of a past socialist system, the author closely examines present-day events where an undefined discomfort arises. For instance, she questions, in light of the often uncomplaining acceptance of restrictions on fundamental rights during the Corona pandemic: Is our freedom really worth so little to us? Furthermore, have we already forgotten what it means to painfully miss freedom of travel, freedom of profession, or freedom of opinion? Where do we stand as a society and politically today, 35 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall? What role do public service media play? How did planned economy function back then, and how does market economy function today? What do democracy and freedom mean in a time shaken by crises?

Katja Adler neither claims that we are already living under conditions similar to those in the GDR, where there is no longer freedom of opinion and the press is effectively state-controlled, nor does she represent the position of a left-green mainstream that taboos pointing out parallels between the GDR and present-day Germany. As a liberal, she occupies a middle position that opposes both extremes: No, today’s Germany cannot be equated with the GDR. Yes, there are dangerous developments in Germany that remind one of similar situations in the GDR. The book illustrates how important it is to be sensitive to every small step, to every awkward attempt at a backward roll into the GDR.