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

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.