East Germany

“Simply a Little Piece of GDR History”?: <em>The Role of Memorialization in Post-Socialist Transitional Justice in Germany</em>

“…2 As noted by a number of scholars, the incorporation of East Germany into the long-established democracy of the Federal Republic meant the instant availability of political and legal structures capable (also in financial terms) of addressing the crimes committed under the previous regime. 3 Perhaps of equal importance, the newly united Germany saw political will at both an elite and a popular level to bring the perpetrators of state violence to justice, often with reference to perceived inadequacies in dealing with the National Socialist past after 1945. 4 Indeed, the Federal Republic might be viewed as the "leader" in postsocialist central and eastern Europe in terms of what is widely described as "transitional justice": that is, the "response to systematic or widespread violations of human rights," which "seeks recognition for victims and promotion of possibilities for peace, reconciliation and democracy."…”