Media Library

On this page you will find interviews with former political prisoners and non-conformist young people who were deployed as forced labourers in penal institutions or youth work centres in the GDR.

We recorded the interviews in the second half of 2023 on the premises of the UOKG in the former Stasi headquarters in Berlin-Lichtenberg. We asked the contemporary witnesses to describe in their own words how they grew up in the GDR, their conflicts with the state, their arrest (or institutionalisation) and their work in prison.

Alexander Müller

Alexander Müller was born in Bad Schlema in 1969. He got into trouble at school at an early age and, in 1980, was sent to various homes by the GDR youth welfare services. Three years later, the authorities forced him out of school and he had to start an apprenticeship as a locksmith at the youth reformatory in Burg. He later spent several months at a time in the closed youth reformatory in Torgau, where he worked for various GDR companies. After his release, he became involved in the GDR civil rights movement in 1989.

Anne Hahn

Anne Hahn was born in Magdeburg in 1966 and was part of the city’s punk scene in her youth. After losing her place at Humboldt University in Berlin, she and a friend tried to break through the border between the Azerbaijani Soviet Republic and Iran during a holiday in the Soviet Union with the aim of reaching the West via Turkey. Both were arrested and handed over to the GDR authorities. Anne Hahn was sentenced and spent a total of six months in Hohenleuben prison, where she had to sew handkerchiefs. She was released in November 1989 as part of an amnesty.

“I realised immediately that it was intended for export. (…)
You simply couldn’t buy bed linen like this in the GDR.”

Birgit Schlicke

Birgit Schlicke was born in Görlitz in 1969 and came into conflict with the GDR authorities during her school years. As a result of her parents’ application to emigrate, she had to leave the extended secondary school and was eventually arrested by the State Security in 1988. After six months in pre-trial detention, she was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. In the Hoheneck women’s prison, she was forced to do shift work sewing bed linen. In November 1989, she was released following an amnesty and travelled to West Germany.

Carla Ottmann

Carla Ottmann was born in Berlin in 1946. She studied theatre studies in Leipzig and then worked at the Komische Oper Berlin. She was arrested in 1978 and sentenced to two and a half years in prison for aiding and abetting her sister’s escape, 20 months of which she served in Hoheneck women’s prison. There, Carla Ottmann was forced to work for the ‘VEB Combine ESDA’ in the production of nylon stockings, among other things. She was released in the GDR and was able to leave for West Berlin in 1981.

Cornelia Kurtz

Cornelia Kurtz was born in 1960. After her parents divorced, she initially lived with her father, but conflicts with her stepmother led her to seek contact with her biological mother, whose new husband abused her. As a result, Cornelia Kurtz was often absent from school and was then handed over to the GDR youth welfare centre by her father. She was first sent to the Bad Freienwalde transit centre and then to the youth reformatory in Burg. There she had to work in shifts in rusk production. She was released in the GDR at the age of 18.

Dieter Dombrowski

Dieter Dombrowski was born in Berlin in 1951 and grew up in a Catholic family. Dombrowski’s mother moved to West Berlin in the mid-1960s. She suffered a heart attack in 1974, but her children, who were still living in the GDR, were not allowed to visit her. Dieter Dombrowski then decided to flee. The escape attempt failed and Dombrowski was sentenced to two and a half years in prison. In Cottbus prison, he was forced to punch and deburr camera housings for VEB Pentacon Dresden. In December 1975, the German government bought his release.

“Many travelled out in the morning and (…) were then in the infirmary in the evening with burns and bruises.”

Falk Mrázek

Falk Mrázek was born in Radeberg in 1960 and grew up in Bischofswerda. In 1975, his parents applied to leave the GDR, whereupon he was denied the opportunity to attend secondary school and study. Falk Mrázek therefore made a demonstrative escape attempt at the Brandenburg Gate in 1978 and was arrested by the border troops. He was sentenced to 14 months in custody, most of which he served in Bitterfeld prison. At first he had to move railway sleepers in the open air during the cold winter of 1978/79, later he was put to work in an aluminium foundry. In June 1979, he was finally released to West Germany as part of the prisoner release programme.

“We didn’t even have work gloves, we didn’t really have anything.”

Frank Herrmann

Frank Herrmann was born in Zittau in 1959. Even as a young man, he distanced himself from the GDR and sought contact with church circles. In July 1983, he and a friend attempted to flee to Austria via Hungary. The two were arrested at a traffic checkpoint in the GDR and sentenced to 20 months in prison. In the Naumburg penal institution, Frank Herrmann had to work for VEB Metallwaren (MeWa) in the electroplating department and as a punching press operator. His release was eventually bought by the Federal German government.

Silvia Krause

Silvia Krause was born in Greiz in 1957 and worked as a physiotherapist. After she and her husband applied to leave the country, the couple were harassed by the GDR authorities. After several letters and ‘explanations’, they were both arrested in October 1988. Silvia Krause was sentenced to 22 months in prison, which she was to serve in Dessau. The Federal German government bought her release in May 1989.

Thomas Drescher

Thomas Drescher was born Thomas Fiedler in Hennigsdorf near Berlin in 1967. He completed an apprenticeship as a carpenter, but at a young age he decided that he would one day leave the GDR. In January 1989, he and a friend attempted to cross the Berlin Wall near Glienicke. The attempt failed, however, and Thomas Drescher was arrested and sentenced to 15 months in prison. He was sent to the Zeithain prison and was forced to work in the nearby Riesa steelworks. In October 1989, the federal government bought his release.

Media Library

Alexander Müller

Anne Hahn

“I realised immediately that it was intended for export. (…)
You simply couldn’t buy bed linen like this in the GDR.”

Birgit Schlicke

Carla Ottmann

Cornelia Kurtz

Dieter Dombrowski

“Many travelled out in the morning and (…) were then in the infirmary in the evening with burns and bruises.”

Falk Mrázek

“We didn’t even have work gloves, we didn’t really have anything.”

Frank Herrmann

Silvia Krause

Thomas Drescher

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Media Library

Alexander Müller

Anne Hahn

“I realised immediately that it was intended for export. (…) You simply couldn’t buy bed linen like this in the GDR.”

Birgit Schlicke

Carla Ottmann

Cornelia Kurtz

Dieter Dombrowski

“Many travelled out in the morning and (…) were then in the infirmary in the evening with burns and bruises.”

Falk Mrázek

“We didn’t even have work gloves, we didn’t really have anything.”

Frank Herrmann

Silvia Krause

Thomas Drescher

A Project of

Contact

Additional Links

“I realised immediately that it was intended for export. (…)
You simply couldn’t buy bed linen like this in the GDR.”