The former Federal Commissioner for Stasi Records, Roland Jahn, paid tribute to singer-songwriter Wolf Biermann on the occasion of his 90th birthday. Jahn told the newspapers of Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (Sunday editions) that Wolf Biermann holds great significance for him. He stated that Biermann was the source of encouragement for everyone. The former Stasi Records Commissioner said that his songs encouraged him not to give up, particularly the song Du lass dich nicht verhärten, in dieser harten Zeit. He noted that he himself sang this song while he was in pre-trial detention. Jahn added that if Biermann had not been expelled from the country, he would not have left the university and ultimately would not have become the Federal Commissioner for Stasi Records. This was a turning point in his life. The former Stasi Records Commissioner continued by saying that from that moment, it was clear to him that this state had no future. The 73-year-old Jahn was active in the opposition in Jena, Thuringia, was arrested in 1983, and was taken out of the country against his will.
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