Aftermath - Buchenwald Memorial

Soviet Imprisonments and Special Camps in West and East German Public After 1950

The memory of the special camps took different forms in the GDR and West Germany. While those affected in the GDR had to remain silent about their experiences, it was possible to speak publicly about the camps in the West. However, they were often equated with Nazi concentration camps, and Nazi crimes were trivialized.

With the fall of the GDR and the Soviet Union, the topic took on new relevance. For the first time, it was possible to view documents on the Special Camps in Moscow that were previously kept secret. Since then, research into the Special Camps has made great progress. Permanent exhibitions have been set up at the sites of former camps and memorials to their prisoners have been dedicated in the German states that were formerly part of the GDR. The handling of the special camps is still the subject of debate today.

Between Appropriation and Taboo (1950 to 1989) Post-History

In early 1950, the Soviet authorities dissolved the Special Camps. In the GDR, those who had been released were sworn to silence. Many of them were monitored by the police and the Stasi. The SED leadership initially used the dissolution of the camps for...

The Special Camps in Public Discourse (Since 1989/90) Post-History

With the political upheaval of 1989/90, the history of the Soviet Special Camps came to public attention. Former internees and their relatives began speaking out. They demanded research and dignified commemoration of this history. The Buchenwald...