Description

Boston: USCFGDR (Boston), The archive comprises documents from 1985-1991, including: member lists, summary reports of visits to the GDR, notes and comments for scheduling visits in the GDR and for hosting GDR visitors and dignitaries, correspondence from and to chapter members, and detailed financial records. We estimate that there are roughly 1,000 pages of documents housed in three letter sized archival document cases (12 ¼ by 10 ¼ by 5 inches) and further divided in archival file folders. Almost all documents in English, although a few in German. Per included meeting minutes, the Boston Chapter was founded January 10, 1986 with 11 members. The archive thus appears complete commencing with information requests in 1985 to form a new chapter, then the formation of the Boston chapter through the date of its abandonment in the year after the GDR ceased to exist. In addition to documents, the archive includes 8 cassette tapes (all functioning, 6 high quality audio, 2 medium quality audio, all in English and approximately ½ recorded around 1989-1990 and pertaining to discussions of the fall of the GDR). The audio component itself, offers a cornucopia of research. Other included items are three small clay medallions from the League of People’s Friendship with the GDR, and homemade posters announcing the 1989 GDR Days celebration.

The USCFDGR was founded in 1975 to promote the GDR within the United States. From their statement of purpose: “We believe that learning about and seeing the GDR as it really is will surprise and enlighten many Americans… we in the USCFDGR have observed the steady growth of prosperity and quality of life in the GDR. This is evident from many standpoints: housing, health care, education, economic growth, social stability and cultural life”. The USCFDGR primarily organized tours of GDR citizens in the United States (and held conferences around such tours) and also, vice versa, organized tours and delegations of Americans to the GDR, in an effort to foster “peace and friendship with the GDR”. USCFDGR was organized into five chapters around the country, this archive is from the greater Boston Chapter. The American organization, USCFDGR, was part of an organized effort of the East Germany government to promote its interests abroad through the “Liga für Völkerfreundschaft der DDR” (League of People’s Friendship with the GDR)—as such, for example, there is correspondence from the GDR embassy in Washington D.C. to help organize tours within the United States and provide support, such as sending East German movies to the Boston Chapter for events.

USCFDGR members were primarily US academics who strongly supported the GDR and the archive provides insight into the social and political aspects of Americans who supported a socialist country. This becomes especially interesting as the Berlin Wall fell and the GDR ceased to exist. The largest event ever hosted by the Boston Chapter occurred November 8-22, 1989. An event that coincided with the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989. The GDR had sent 50 people to Boston to participate in the event, including the president of the GDR Peace Council, the executive secretary of the Christian Peace Conference, various East German actors, authors, artists, and even the East German ambassador to the United States attended along with roughly 1,000 Americans, when, in the middle of the conference the Wall fell and the East German politburo and government ministers resigned. The East German government had even arranged for well known East German actress Vera Oelschlegel (born 1938) to entertain guests on November 19th with an event entitled “USA meets GDR on Stage”. The highlight of the archive is the correspondence, newspaper articles, interviews, and reports related to the November 1989 event. The November 1989 “GDR Days” celebration received a lot of publicity in the press and on television because of the events in East Germany.

1989-1990 correspondence in the archive moves from indignation to disillusionment to acceptance that not only the GDR but also the US based friendship organization will cease to exist.

For example on February 2, 1990 the director of the Boston chapter writes to a friend in East Germany: “Many of my friends felt that your country had the best possibilities for having a developed socialist society—not immediately, but in the future. Now they feel you will lose all your achievements and will be welcomed into the capitalist world of unemployment, homelessness, poverty, vastly unequal educational opportunities, poor child care, more inequality for women, and everything else that goes along with capitalism.”

Chapter member Leila B. writes in on April 25, 1990: “I can’t imagine under what conditions it would be appropriate to disband [the chapter]… It would be abdicating our responsibilities and opportunities… Even in the worst case of unification, there will be some sort of peace organization which will need our cooperation and support… The people of the GDR have reason to be feeling very insecure, bitter—but not discouraged! As you say, ‘a flood of West German politicians and business men have inundated the GDR…’ and urged on by Bush, Kohl & Co. are stealing the GDR’s resources and taking advantage of the upheaval in the socialist world to try to dismantle GDR socialism.”

In a letter dated February 12, 1990 Ulrike R. wrote to the director of the Boston chapter: “As you can well imagine, my frustration about the seeming transience of the GDR government gave way to a whole host of different, and especially strong emotions.”

In a letter dated April 19, 1990 from the San Francisco chapter to the Boston chapter: “As you see, we are still alive. But barely…we have decided to continue to exist as long as the GDR does. But there won’t be many activities”

The archive provides a historical record of the height and fall of East Germany from an unusual perspective, that of Americans who proudly and vocally supported East Germany.

Price: $4,950

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