Gorbachev and the “Soviet Fatherhood” of the GDR

Abstract

In the descriptions of the reunification, particularly by journalists, the citizens’ movement, which at the beginning did not call itself by this name and was very heterogeneous, played a completely decisive role. It was seen as bringing the rulers of East Berlin to their knees: sometimes it was those who wanted to emigrate to the FRG and wanted to put pressure on the GDR leadership, and at other times it was those who sometimes referred to themselves as “Hierbleiber” (stayers on) and wanted to reform the GDR.