Objekt des Monats
Jedes Objekt in der Sammlung des Deutschen Auswandererhauses erzählt eine ganz persönliche Auswanderungs- oder Einwanderungsgeschichte. In dieser Rubrik stellen wir Ihnen jeden Monat ein anderes Objekt vor – eine Fotografie, ein Dokument oder ein persönliches Erinnerungsstück.
November 2019
Porcelain mug from the brand ‘Kahla’ around 1950
Historical Context
On November 9, 1989, 30 years ago, the GDR opened its borders to the FRG and West Berlin. Since the construction of the Wall in 1961, emigration for the citizens of the GDR had been nearly impossible – they were left with only the risky option of fleeing or the attempt to submit an emigration application. Between 1961 and 1988, GDR authorities recorded approximately 383,000 applications for permanent emigration from the GDR. However, individuals who had submitted an application could not necessarily expect it to be approved; especially not immediately. Instead, as a consequence, they faced job loss, expulsion from university, or, for students, the refusal of gymnasium recommendations. If an application was eventually approved, the affected individuals often had to leave the country within 24 to 48 hours. In this short time, they were compelled to complete a series of formalities, including the surrender of their GDR identity cards, proof of the dissolution of their accounts, and an inventory of their possessions. Property owners were often pressured by authorities to sell at below market value.
Short biography of Erika Wohlers
Erika Wohlers was born in 1948 in Hainichen (now Saxony) as the third child of a refugee family from the former German eastern territories. After training as a librarian in Weißenfels (now Saxony-Anhalt), she studied archival science and history in Berlin starting in 1967. In November 1971, she was arrested by state security and taken into investigative custody. She was accused of spreading DDR-critical and Western literature. Additionally, the Ministry of State Security tried to link her to critical flyers distributed at Humboldt University. In September 1972, Erika Wohlers was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for ‘anti-state agitation.’ She was released in December 1972 due to an amnesty. She was not allowed to continue her studies. She and her husband then applied to emigrate. The following two years were marked by economic hardship due to their political beliefs and emigration application. In December 1974, the couple finally received permission to emigrate to the West. Erika Wohlers’ husband’s parents were already living in the Federal Republic of Germany, while her parents remained in the GDR. When asked if she would consider herself a migrant today, Erika Wohlers says:
“Back then, when we emigrated, I was firmly convinced that we were coming to Germany as Germans – from the other Germany, which unfortunately is not as good. It was an emigration in the sense that we changed systems.”
Significance of the object
Erika Wohlers owned the porcelain cup since she was a toddler. She can no longer reconstruct where her parents acquired it. It is one of the few items that the Wohlers couple took with them when they emigrated to West Germany. They feared that each object might increase the risk of border officials finding a reason to deny them exit. Erika Wohlers’ mother gave her the cup during her farewell visit in Weißenfels (today Saxony-Anhalt) as a keepsake of her family. She says:
“This cup should accompany me throughout my life, even in the new homeland.”
Her parents remained in the GDR. Shortly after Erika Wohlers’ emigration, her father passed away. The Wohlers couple moved to Erlangen, where Erika Wohlers’ husband found a job, allowing her to continue her studies. After the reunification, when they decided to move to Fürstenwalde in Brandenburg, the porcelain cup accompanied her once again.
Do you also …
… have a family emigration or immigration story to tell and would like to donate it along with the corresponding objects and documents to the German Emigration Center for its collection? If so, please contact Dr. Tanja Fittkau at the phone number 0471 / 90 22 0 – 0 or via email at: t.fittkau@dah-bremerhaven.de
Archive: Previous Objects of the Month
Show all objectsDo You Also Have …
… a story of emigration or immigration in your family that you would like to share with the German Emigration Center together with the related objects and documents for its collection? Then please contact Dr. Tanja Fittkau by phone at +49 471 / 90 22 0 – 0
or by e-mail at: t.fittkau@dah-bremerhaven.de