Between 1949 and 1989, the East German dictatorship run by the Socialist Unity Party (SED) incarcerated some 250,000 people as alleged or actual political opponents. These people suffered severe human rights violations at every stage of their proceedings.

In the special exhibition, former prisoners and their relatives describe the physical, mental, social, and financial repercussions of their time in prison. Even today, these victims still struggle to cope with their traumatic experiences and to gain society’s recognition as victims, while experts continue to reckon with the legal and judicial aspects of these cases and debate the question of financial compensation.

At the heart of this exhibition are the stories recounted by 20 former political detainees about their life after prison. One of them is Kerstin Meisner. She describes the glass blocks that, during the GDR era, blocked the view from the cells in the Potsdam investigative detention centre: “I find enclosed spaces very difficult to bear. When they’re small, all the doors are always left open. And I need plenty of space. That certainly stems from my time in custody on Lindenstraße and that confinement with no view of the outside.” Another former prisoner, who wishes to remain anonymous, recounts a similar experience: “The worst thing for me was how this cell was locked from the outside several times. I can still hear that sound; I remember exactly what it sounds like. And ever since then, I’ve hated locked doors.”

Never before has an exhibition been devoted exclusively to life after imprisonment. Featuring previously unseen interview footage and personal mementoes belonging to those interviewed, the exhibition focuses on creating a sense of closeness and interaction. Characterful portraits of the contemporary witnesses, taken by the renowned photographer Göran Gnaudschun, provide an emotional connection to their life stories.

The exhibition project is a cooperation between Stiftung Gedenkstätte Lindenstraße and Menschenrechtszentrum Cottbus. It is funded by Beauftragte des Landes Brandenburg zur Aufarbeitung der Folgen der kommunistischen Diktatur (LAkD).