Coordinating Office of Contemporary Witnesses
Contemporary witnesses bring history to life
More than 30 years after the end of the SED dictatorship, schoolchildren no longer have any memories of the unjust regime. Family connections to the history of the GDR are also increasingly fading. Reports from contemporary witnesses who experienced the GDR themselves can convey this chapter of German history to the next generation in a lively way. The Coordinating Office of Contemporary Witnesses, which is funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, provides teachers throughout Germany with contemporary witnesses who report on political resistance, state persecution and their experiences of imprisonment in the GDR, either in person or digitally in the classroom. The educational programme is a collaboration project between the Federal Foundation for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship, the Berlin Wall Foundation and the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial Foundation.
In dialogue with contemporary witnesses
In the online portal www.ddr-zeitzeuge.de you can research contemporary witnesses in your area, find out about their biographies and send us an enquiry form or phone us to request an appointment. The Coordinating Office of Contemporary Witnesses supports all schools and educational institutions in arranging, organising and financing discussions with contemporary witnesses.
Facilitation of contemporary witnesses
Please contact us if you would like to offer a contemporary witness talk at your school:
Jessica Steckel
Research Assistant for the Coordinating Office of Contemporary Witnesses
Phone +49 30 98 60 82 414
info@ddr-zeitzeuge.de
Michael Lotsch
Research Assistant for the Coordinating Office of Contemporary Witnesses
Phone +49 30 98 60 82 447
info@ddr-zeitzeuge.de
Stefanie Hüttl
Research Assistant for the Coordinating Office of Contemporary Witnesses
Phone +49 30 98 60 82 445
s.huettl@stiftung-hsh.de
More information
DDR-Zeitzeuge (GDR Contemporary Witness) online portal
Research biographies of contemporary witnesses from all over Germany; contact us to arrange an appointment and use our portal content to prepare for and follow up on the contemporary witness discussion.
Flyer of the Coordinating Office of Contemporary Witnesses
Download Flyer: Flyer DDR_Zeitzeuge
Order Flyer: info@ddr-zeitzeuge.de
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