Traumas of the Stasi: How fathers and children still suffer today

Traumas of the Stasi: How fathers and children still suffer today

The fates of former political prisoners from the GDR remain an urgent issue even years after reunification. In particular, the psychological consequences of imprisonment and Stasi persecution pose major challenges for many. This becomes particularly clear in the example of Victoria Matthies, who reports on the lasting traumas of her father, who, after being bought out in the Federal Republic, was “simply left to his own devices” without the necessary therapy or aids to find his way back to life. Detainees often don't know how to deal with their experiences, which makes returning to a normal life much more difficult. A tragic example is Matthies' father, who, even years after his release, is plagued by nightmares in which the Stasi is still at his bedside.

What is particularly depressing is that Victoria Matthies' father was observed by the Stasi until 1988, even though he already lived in the West. This feeling of constant surveillance, which goes far beyond a simple sensation, is further evidence of the psychological scars these people have suffered. Victoria describes that there was a great distance between her and her father, which she attributes to the consequences of imprisonment and interrogation. It was as if part of her father had never left Bautzen. Her attempts to hug him felt like hugging a “bulky piece of furniture,” and the “armor of steel” her father had built around himself made it nearly impossible to get through to him. The difficulties in establishing emotional closeness cannot only be attributed to individual experiences, but are part of a larger, collective trauma.

The traumas of political persecution

The psychological stress that former political prisoners are exposed to is enormous and diverse. According to estimates, the number of politically persecuted people in the GDR varies between 170,000 and over 300,000. If you differentiate between the phases of persecution, a frightening picture emerges: between 1945 and 1949, around 127,000 people suffered from massive attacks and extreme conditions in special camps and prisons in the Soviet Union, although many did not survive. In the following years, the methods of the GDR state security increasingly shifted to psychological torture. Disintegration as a strategy of the Stasi aimed at undermining the opponents' self-esteem and destroying trust in interpersonal relationships.

A sad effect of this practice is the long-lasting psychological consequences found among former prisoners. Today, many still suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and studies show that a third of these people are still struggling with the after-effects of their imprisonment 26 years after reunification. The descendants of those who were politically persecuted are also affected and show increased psychological stress.

Social recognition of the victims

Despite these serious effects, social recognition of the victims of political persecution in the GDR is perceived as low. Although research into traumatic experiences has evolved, many experiences and their psychological consequences remain under the radar. The analysis of man-made Type II trauma in politically unjust imprisonment shows that the fear and powerlessness of those affected is shaped by the arbitrary actions of their tormentors, who disregarded basic human rights.

The voice of Victoria Matthies and many others who have had similar experiences must be heard. Their stories are not only individual experiences, but also part of a collective memory that reminds us of the importance of continuing the conversation about the consequences of political persecution and its impact on future generations.

For many, coming to terms with the past remains a major challenge and lacks support and understanding. The experiences cannot simply be suppressed, and awareness of the ongoing trauma associated with the mistakes of history should be kept high in our society.

For further information on the psychological consequences of political persecution in the former GDR, it is worth taking a look at MDR, [bpb].