European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

When I came home, I joined (I hadn’t been politically organized before) the SED,

that was the association of the social democrats, communists and many independent people.

I worked in the ministry occasionally

and was temporarily at the SED in Tempelhof as the 2nd secretary,

later on even as party secretary for a company in Johannisthal.

After 1989/90 I have been particularly interested in those moor soldier meetings.

I arranged that moor soldiers from Köpenick could give interviews.

We have good contact and I have been going there every year.

I have been taking part in their meetings: against war and against fascism.

This is the conclusion: War is something terrible!

It creates horrible conditions - not only for the soldiers but for civilians, as well.

You have to turn against fascism and now, as well, the neo-Nazis to be able to prevent similar affairs.

That could maybe be even the closing words, if you have no other questions:

This conclusion did not only arise in recent years.

You were already living with this decision in the times you were imprisoned and then afterwards during the war.

Yes, our life was very difficult.

But we had made a choice. We could have put up our feet and watched TV.

But we didn’t make that choice. I can’t explain exactly why.

On one hand, it was thanks to the way my parents educated me.