Das Andere Leben Part One: An Insight Into Youth and Education In Communist Germany
Written By: Jay Pope
It is often difficult to imagine what life could be like under socialism. Not only does propaganda, misinformation and lies taint our perspective, but so too does the fact that socialism is so integrally and profoundly different to our current capitalist order. When we are presented with a system so ideologically, economically and socially opposed to our very core understandings and perceptions, who knows how things could change?
It is through the lives and experiences of others however, that we can hope to learn these things. The stories of those on the ground, often silenced or lost by the machinations of history and politics, provide a unique and personal insight. It is these stories that we must look to and understand, it is these stories that we should cherish and hold onto in the hope of not only coming to terms with what could be, but also what is.
The May release of the first episode of Das Andere Leben (The Other Life), a close and personal documentary series filmed by the Kommunistische Organization that hopes to shed light on the truths of life in the former German Democratic Republic, provided exactly the sort of insight we need.
The first episode; “Childhood, School and Youth in the GDR” explores experiences with the socialist education system. Through various voices we are shown how community and education play a key role in socialist society. Das Andere Leben pulls back the curtain as we hear stories from the likes of Heidi Richter (1939 – 2020), who reveals how her father went from an officer in the Wehrmacht to an anti-fascist freedom fighter in the National Committee for a Free Germany, and her experiences as a founding member of the Young Pioneers youth organization. Edmund Peltzer (1941) explains the hardships of his parents in Poland, and their eventual resettlement in East Germany, where he received a free education, and Regina Mainzer(1951) reflects on her polytechnic education in the workshops, were she learnt to become a railway repairer for German Railways.
Rather than a stale and in depth analysis of how the education system functioned, the documentary chooses instead to have people explain their experiences in socialist education, an insight which reveals striking differences between the capitalist approach to education and theirs. Throughout we are shown how education was not simply a tool to produce workers, as Jurgen Geppert (1949) explains, education was seen as the responsibility of everyone, from the young to the elderly, it was an integral part of society. In high school, children were encouraged to take part in political organizations, have their voices heard and be active in youth groups such as the Young Pioneers. Students were taught how to garden and sew, invited to steel mills and farms, where they were taught about the hard work and risks of such occupations, and learnt to respect and value the labour of others. Children were not just students, but important members of the community, asked to consider their place in society, and the work of others around them.
This theme seems to be constant throughout education in the GDR, from as early as kindergarten children were taught to value every occupation, and that everyone’s labour contribution is important. In contrast to the propagandized perception that everyone is some brainless, faceless cog in a monstrous state apparatus, these people show that everyone’s contribution was valued and respected.
Political education played a prominent role in children’s lives. Students attended classes such as “Introduction to Socialist Production” which took place in factories and workshops, Torsten Schöwitz (1969) reveals his excursions to concentration camps, and how they would listen to Holocaust survivors and anti-fascist resistance fighters recount their experiences. Political education did not just cover history and theory however; Kerstin Salin (1963) explains how students were encouraged to examine their relations with each other, to help students who struggled and to understand solidarity with others.
Through youth organizations such as the Young Pioneers students were encouraged to actively participate in politics and organize councils within classes, schools and communities. The thoughts, voices and opinions of children were taken seriously; Children were not chastised or belittled, but listened to and considered. As Heidi Richter explains, the Young Pioneers were represented on the national level, with a seat at the table shared with the Ministry for Education, anti-fascist organizations, women’s organizations, the military, unions and various other societal forces. Political education was not just theory and books and classrooms but meaningful and active participation in governance and decision-making processes, everyone’s voice, even a 6-year old’s, was considered.
Education was not only an internal affair in the eyes of the GDR, international students were also invited to summer camps and festivals, where children could learn about and understand different cultures, break down cultural barriers and form friendships. Torsten Schöwitz recounts how people would form Friendship Brigades, providing training, education and developmental aid to other countries; he explains how his father would teach people in Guinea construction skills so that people there could build on their own. Education was not simply an act of personal development but friendship and solidarity.
At risk of explaining the entirety of the documentary, I highly encourage readers to set aside the time to watch Das Andere Leben. The Kommunistische Organisation has worked hard to produce an insightful and meaningful piece, which reveals much about a period we know truly little about.