Forced adoption in the GDR

funded by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Homeland

The DIH researches together with partners: within a scientific network politically motivated forced adoptions in the GDR.

It is funded by the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI) for a period of 36 months with around 970,000 euros .

Start: 07/01/2022

End: 6/30/2025

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In doing so, the circumstances of forced adoptions are to be worked up and the various definitions of the term forced adoption are to be discussed again, checked using new material and developed in the focus of various scientific disciplines. Politically motivated adoption procedures in the GDR were often connected with political imprisonment, departure or other politically motivated repression against the biological parents.

The research team is interdisciplinary and consists of social ethicists, educationalists, lawyers, psychologists and medical historians from various universities and institutes.

In addition to researching the relevant files, the DIH is also planning to develop its own contemporary witness portal in the form of a homepage.

After intensive preliminary work, which was also preceded by two changes in the law to create the legal prerequisites for access to the files of the GDR youth welfare service, the project to research politically motivated forced adoptions in the GDR could now begin.

With the start, the BMI is implementing the decision of the German Bundestag:

Microsoft Word - 2018-02-26 ZZF report new version-2.docx (zzf-potsdam.de)

subject of research

Among other things, we research:

the importance, scope and historical dimension of politically motivated adoption processes

the circumstances of the forced adoptions

the various definitions of forced adoption

the connection between political imprisonment, departure or other politically motivated repressions against the biological parents and the adoption process

its impact on the processing of the separation

research methods

Quantitative and qualitative methods of empirical research as well as methods of hermeneutics are used.

Example case studies:

Selection of different adoption cases (regional distribution, facility type, provider)

Check archive access & willingness to cooperate

Development of a multi-part questionnaire for all areas of the cross-sectional analysis, including category and question grid, determination of the random sample (size, selection) and the criteria for individual case analyses

Development of a guided interview

On site: take a sample (period, scope), pre-test survey: The review and evaluation is carried out according to a method of qualitative hermeneutics/objective hermeneutics adapted to the respective archive situation, ie review and processing until the questions asked are saturated

Review of the questions Adaptation of the categories and questions of the questionnaire & expansion of the database

Conducting guided interviews as part of participatory research with contemporary witnesses

The term "forced adoption"

So far there is no generally binding "official" definition for the term "forced adoption".

In the preliminary study already available on the "Dimension and scientific verifiability of political motivations in GDR adoption mediation procedures, 1966-1990", "politically motivated adoptions in the GDR" were described as follows:

"The "politically motivated adoption in the GDR" is the state measure of removing one or more children from a family and reintegrating them into another family against the obvious will of the biological parents, with the punishment of behavior on the part of the parents, which obviously does not endangering the well-being of the child concerned was the central motive for this measure” (see page 47 of the preliminary study)

preliminary study:

Study on politically motivated forced adoptions in the GDR | Leibniz Center for Contemporary History Potsdam (zzf-potsdam.de)

information and mediation

The ZAuV shows possibilities for targeted research tailored to the individual case as well as tailor-made advice from the existing authorities and institutions. After the completion of the extensive conceptual preliminary work carried out last year, the Central Information and Mediation Center (ZAuV) was set up at the Federal Office for Central Services and Unresolved Property Issues (BADV) at the beginning of 2021.

The aim of the ZAuV is to show research options tailored to the individual case and, in the sense of a "guide function", to name the relevant authority or institution in a targeted manner.

Information can be obtained on existing (regional) advice centers and contact persons, possible official research for further biographical clarifications as well as the legal requirements and framework conditions for the provision of information or inspection of files from the authorities.

Adopted, biological parents of adoptees, adoptive parents, as well as siblings or other relatives can contact the ZAuV.

Anyone who is interested in the subject and would like to find out more about the status of processing of politically motivated adoptions at federal level can also contact the Central Information and Mediation Office.

Central information and exchange office:

ZAuV - forced adoptions in the GDR - information and mediation (bund.de)

research team

Prof. Dr. Karsten Laudien

ethicist

Prof. Dr. Anke Dreier-Horning

educationalist

Martina Meiselbach

Scientific Associate

Annabell Bergander

Student Assistant

Prof. Dr. Friederike Wapler

Lawyer and legal philosopher

dr Wibke Frey

lawyer

Prof. Dr. Heide Glaesmer

Psychologist

Emilie Compera

Scientific Associate

Prof. Dr. Birgit Wagner

Psych. Psychotherapist

Jan Schweiger

Scientific Associate

Prof. Dr. Heiner Fangerau

medical historian

dr Nils Loeffelbein

historian

Press release from the Federal Ministry:

https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/pressemitteilungen/DE/2022/07/fp-ddr-zwangsadoption.html

Association partners:

Prof. Dr. Karsten Laudien, German Institute for Home Education Research

social ethicist

Prof. Dr. Anke Dreier-Horning, German Institute for Home Education Research

educationalist

Prof. Dr. Friederike Wapler, University of Mainz

Lawyer and legal philosopher

Prof. Dr. Heide Glaesmer, University of Leipzig

psychologist

Prof. Dr. Birgit Wagner, Medical School Berlin

Psychological psychotherapist

Prof. Dr. Heiner Fangerau, University of Düsseldorf

medical historian

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