Evelyn Zupke, the parliamentary representative for SED victims in the Bundestag, advocates for a more rigorous integration of GDR history into school curricula and mandates the visit of memorial sites. Speaking to the “Rheinische Post”, Zupke stated that GDR history is often inadequately covered in schools, calling it a serious problem. She expressed concern that the SED dictatorship might be reduced to a mere footnote in history. “This would be dangerous,” Zupke warned, particularly as the generation of eyewitnesses continues to shrink.
Zupke further elaborated that she wishes every student could visit at least one memorial site dedicated to the “second German dictatorship.” She stressed that the goal must be for every student to leave school with clear knowledge of what the GDR was-and an understanding that it constituted a dictatorship and an unjust state. According to her, every young person should know who Erich Honecker was and what the German division signified. Despite the decentralized nature of the education system, Zupke urged that methods be found to better safeguard the subject matter, both in East and West.
Furthermore, Zupke advocated for promoting the memory of GDR victims in the public sphere. She suggested that renaming streets can be a helpful measure, noting that street names function as a form of collective memory, making history visible. Therefore, she said, it is important to honor freedom fighters from the Peaceful Revolution. Zupke also underlined that making eyewitnesses visible in public is essential, giving them space to discuss their experiences under the dictatorship.
This Thursday marks the 65th anniversary of the construction of the Berlin Wall.
