GDR doping: sporty heroes in the shadow of the system

GDR doping: sporty heroes in the shadow of the system

Sachsen, Deutschland - The debate about the success and dark sides of East German sport is still a current topic. In particular, the history of the GDR and its impressive sporting achievements are the focus of the public. Between 1949 and 1989, the GDR won a total of 755 Olympic medals, including over 200 gold medals. These successes were celebrated not only as a sporting triumph, but also as national achievements of socialism. According to Freie Presse is the Olympic gold medal in football, which won the GDR in 1976 in Montreal, as a historical moment. It was the first time that a German men's soccer team won Olympic Gold and remains the only Olympic victory in this category.

The supervised athletes included many talented athletes who were brought to their performance limits through extensive state funding. Called as "diplomats in a training suit", these athletes were the figurehead of the GDR and were often honored by state head Erich Honecker, who celebrated Olympic champion like Kristin Otto and Ulf Timmermann.

doping and its consequences

However, the dark sides of the GDR sports bloomed in the shade of these successes. Around 15,000 athletes, many of them minors, were treated with performance -enhancing substances such as anabolic steroids, growth hormones and steroids as part of the systematically implemented doping program "State Plan 14.25" from the mid -1970s. The organization and control of the doping program were in the hands of sports officials and state security (Stasi) and were only revealed by court processes from 1997, as DW

The health consequences for many doping victims are serious. It is estimated that several thousand athletes suffer from chronic diseases, hormonal disorders and psychological problems. The doping victim aid association reports a high proportion of those affected with depression and burnout. Former athletes such as Ines Geipel and Kornelia Ender, who won five à four Olympic gold medals, are just a few examples of the long -term damage that the doping left in the GDR.

social and legal context

dealing with the victims of the GDR doping is an unsolved social problem. Although the 2002 doping victim aid law (DoHG) provided for initial compensation for affected athletes, many find the sums insufficient. While some federal states like Thuringia are committed to the rehabilitation of doping victims, rehabilitation has already been reached in others such as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saxony. In society, GDR athletes have so far found little recognition in the "Hall of Fame" of German sport.

Evelyn Zupke, the Federal Commissioner for the Victims of the SED dictatorship, has spoken out for a change in the law in order to recognize the suffering of the victims of doping and officially rehabilitate. The doping victim aid association remains active and calls for the historical processing of the doping practices and the recognition of those affected, while some athletes are still proud of their medals and do not want to see their fame, as from Deutschlandfunk emerges.