Table of Contents
Foreword V
Introduction 1
Defining the GDR 1
The Intellectuals 8
Antifascism, Socialism and Closeness to the Ruling Elite 9
Censorship and Repression 14
The Critical Voice of Literature and the End of the GDR 17
Selection of Authors 19
Selection of Sources 22
Archive Material 22
Autobiography 25
Literature 29
Complicit Critic: Hermann Kant and the Writer as Functionary 32
Working with the Stasi: Kant as Inoffizieller Mitarbeiter 34
The Stasi Career Phase One: 1957-1968 34
The File 35
Motivations 37
Scruples and Distancing 41
After the Wende: The Denial 43
Censorship and Repression: The Publication of Das Impressum 50
The Writing Period 51
The Publication in Forum 54
The Interview in Vorwärts 59
The Ban and the Final Publication 61
After the Wende: A Presentation of Clarity 67
Criticism from Within: Kant and the Writers' Union 71
The Public Face of the Writer-Functionary 72
The Second Face of the Writer-Functionary 74
After the Wende: The Third Face of the Writer-Functionary 81
Literary Portrayals of "Intellect" and "Power": Das Impressum 86
Conclusion 91
Hostile Partisan: Stefan Heym and the Search for Clarity 94
Working with the Party: Liberalisation through Negotiation 95
The Beginning of Negotiations: The Publication of Die Schmähschrift oder Königin gegen Defoe and the Honecker Liberalisation 97
The Failure of Negotiations: The Decision not to Publish, 1969-1972 101
Reviewers' Reports: The Limits of Liberalisation 109
Changing Faces and Changing Attitudes: The Final Publication 1972-1974 112
Censorship and Repression: 5 Tage im Juni, Biermann and Collin 116
The End of Negotiations? 5 Tage im Juni, 1974 116
The End of Negotiations II? The Consequences of the Biermann Affair, 1976-1977 121
The End of Negotiations III? Collin and the Expulsions of 1979 127
Pre-publication: Fear of Reprisals 128
Post-publication and Post-prosecution: The Contours of Cold Peace 129
Critical Voice: Alternative Public Forums, the Writer and the State in the Late GDR 131
The West as Public Forum: Between Privilege and Control 132
The Shifting Party Line: The Beginning of the End? 136
Literary Portrayals of "Intellect" and "Power" Collin 139
Conclusion 143
Uncertain Comrade: Elfriede Brüning, Loyalty, Criticism and Power 148
Working with Party Policy: Brüning and the Critical Writers 152
Party-loyal Writers and the Eleventh Plenary 152
Post-Censorship or Controlled Debate? The Role of Literary Journals 157
Septemberreise: Petty-Bourgeois Trivial Literature? 157
Brüning s Response 164
The Effects of Post-Censorship: The 1974 Publication 167
Grumblings of Discontent: Behind-the-Scenes Criticism and Public Support 171
Behind-the-Scenes Criticism: The Issue of Print Runs 171
Public Conformity and the Failure of Negotiations 174
Pushing at Boundaries: Feminism in the GDR 178
Literature and Antifascism 188
Septemberreise 191
Wie andere Leute auch 193
Conclusion 195
Conclusion: Ambiguity, Fragmentation and the End of the GDR 198
Ambiguity in Relationships with Power 198
Ambiguity and the Evangelical Church 201
Ambiguity as a Feature of Everyday Life 203
Fragmentation and Disintegration 204
Bibliography 209
Index of Names 225
