Two years after the fall of the Berlin Wall is one of the darkest chapters of the GDR's history to light. Wrapped in newspaper documents from the archive cellars of the district office Berlin-Mitte prove what Eastern and Western politicians had denied for years: in the GDR were children at the behest of the state without zwangsadoptiert consent of the biological parents.
The subject was not new. As early as 1975 reported the "Spiegel" about the practice of forced family separation "Because of flight from the republic and sentenced by the Federal Republic ransomed parents." The release led to an uproar that cost the intra-German relations difficult. Der Spiegel's correspondent in East Berlin was reported, unloaded the permanent representatives of the GDR in Bonn shortly before his first visit. Helmut Schmidt saw the signing of the transport agreement with the GDR dwindle, the East spoke of a "major witch-hunt".
The 16 years later in Berlin found file folders show detailed fate. In several cases, has been withdrawn from 1961 to 1989 parents, for political reasons, mostly on charges of escape from the Republic or of spying, for custody of their children. The main reason: the then Minister of Education Margot Honecker. In the GDR, a powerful woman. This had also experienced Petra Köhler. Unhappy With
living conditions in East Germany, she rebelled, tried to leave the GDR in a legal way, provides several emigration applications. And gets by targeting the state security service. Petra Köhler summoned several times to refrain the Offer. Teachings. Threats. The Stasi has the young mother to an old apartment, no bathroom, on the walls of the mold is growing. When she complained, and denied the program at the ballot box, she meets one of the perfidious Stasi methods, the so-called "Assi-fall level 1" to know: You are deprived of all rights of the GDR, she loses her job and can only make that what the Department of Home Affairs of the circle Gera assigned it. stick cartons: in their case.
The "Assi-trap" is also to Uwe Hilmers of the research and memorial Normannenstrasse not a foreign word: "The much-vaunted right to work also had a dark side to the obligation to work. If someone was removed from his job, it was important for him that he soon found work as possible. Otherwise could have assumed that he lived anti-social. And anti-social elements had also the right to education of their children forfeited. Was it so far, the mills began to grind the apparatus. "
In the case of Petra Köhler grind it very thoroughly. Since it goes against the "dictatorship of the proletariat" defends, level II takes the "Assi-trap". In February 1981 she is prompted by the State in the nursery Gera taken away from her son. Over the wall of the crib hinwegversucht they make contact with Enrico. A kindergarten teacher, she discovers informed the Stasi. "15 minutes late, she raised me out." The 21-year-old comes into Gera Stasi prison. It forbids her to go to even go near the children's institution, was threatened with jail, beats and kicks her, even in the abdomen. "They would drive out war kids me, she said." As 1984 gets Petra her second son, Sven, two secret police officers appear on the maternity ward. They speak of a clear threat: "If I would not bow to the State, then was he the next."
Fearing to lose their second son, she withdraws. She keeps quiet, gets over the years, two girls, Jeanette and Jari. Enrico never see them again. No escape, no illegal border crossings. "Unlike many others, she had only tried to leave the GDR in a legal way." The case of Petra Koehler is no exception. "I have personally known several cases," said Uwe Hilmer. is "I think I go not down on unsafe area when I say that it's probably been several hundred cases."
early 90s in Berlin set up a clearing house, To verify these adoption cases. Point of contact for Petra Köhler. After the turn it takes to find her son again. But it has to stop. At the Youth Office Gera still works the same employee as in GDR times. "Then I went not because the woman who was involved in an adoption matter, has worked there yet. Since I had not been under control. She had taken away from me my child! "
2003 is concerned no longer active in the youth office. Now Petra Köhler shall again initiate the search for son Enrico. In a letter she wrote him that she was his birth mother. Under current adoption law, they must not in direct contact connect with him, the youth welfare office to forward the letter. But the biggest shock is yet to come. Petra Köhler said to have consented in writing to the adoption of her child. "In jail they gave me tablets Given. I'm missing a few hours of life. "They requested the file. And in fact, Petra Koehler consent to the adoption presented. Signed by her maiden name Hartmann. "I was in prison once had pushed a number of documents across the table, but I have not signed up, I know very well."
Hilmer For it is quite conceivable that documents were forged. "On the other hand, there is also the possibility that they have been placed in a situation in which they saw no other option than to sign to get out of this situation. "
Just a few months undergoes Petra Köhler, why was her child taken away. Emigration applications in themselves were not illegal. Instead, her all that she herself had criticized, will be charged as a liability. . Your former moldy apartment, the state had allocated their, their unemployment, after the state had deprived her of the professional "anti-social" was the charge that the government conceded the right to resort to Section 249 of the Criminal Code: legitimate child abduction.
weeks later, the youth office to Enrico's letter had still not passed. Only the Adoption Act it is now available as a copy.
key figure in terms of forced adoption was Margot Honecker. But direct instructions from her to prove to the youth services not let. Unmolested, she travels to Chile in 1992. Also the head of youth services in the People's Education Ministry, Eberhard Mann treasure is, ready for any comments. He says only: Forced adoptions had not existed in the GDR.
None of those responsible is made pursuant to the turn in court. In the Unification Treaty, the East German law has been recognized as the perpetrators have broken no laws accordingly. With the exception the fatal shots at the wall. They are regarded as serious human rights violation. Forced adoptions not. According to current Civil Code is still possible the withdrawal of custody for "subversive influence". So far there is no single verdict that brought a child for those reasons in public care.
Enrico is now Florence, grew up in Saxony and is now living in Bavaria. After 22 years, a mother and son after her cover was finally passed, previously seen only twice. The convergence is difficult. The GDR has separated them. Petra Köhler is now a mother of four children and lives near Leipzig.
Source: http://www.mdr.de/
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