Behind the Wall

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Since 2015, the political landscape of Germany has changed significantly, especially in the east. What has enabled the widespread support for right-wing movements? Ines Geipel explores the political myths of the newly established East German state, its culture of silence, lies, and the fear system that harshly attacked anything ideologically inappropriate. Serious engagement with the past could not occur under these circumstances. Instead, a deliberate policy of forgetting took hold, reflected in families—most poignantly in the author's own family history. Accompanying her brother during his final weeks, Geipel delves into the "crypt of the family." The repressed and denied aspects within the family resonate with the collective loss of memory, leading to a national crisis in Germany. Geipel questions the factors behind the support for right-wing movements and examines the connections between the fear and lies of the former East Germany and the current political shift, as well as their impact on her family.