In the autumn of 1989, people in the GDR and the ČSSR took to the streets—just weeks apart. Afterward, their paths diverged. Through reunification, East Germany became part of the EU and NATO, while the Czech Republic had to work toward its own accession over the course of several years. Whether through the *Treuhand* (privatization agency) in Germany or voucher privatization in the Czech Republic, businesses closed, many people lost their jobs, and young people moved away. The 1990s on both sides of the border were also marked by racism and right-wing violence.

What actually happened in the neighboring country back then? And what does it have to do with today? Right-wing populist parties are part of the government in the Czech Republic; in Saxony-Anhalt, state elections have shifted the political landscape; and Saxony will head to the polls in 2029. Do the roots of today’s discontent lie in those years of upheaval—or is that an insufficient explanation? The event begins with a panel discussion featuring guests from both countries. Following a break, the conversation will continue at smaller tables, where participants from Saxony and the Czech Republic will join contemporary witnesses and experts to discuss their daily lives and experiences since 1989. 

The event will feature simultaneous interpretation between German and Czech.

On the panel:

• Prof. Dr. phil. habil. Raj Kollmorgen, Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences
• Dr. Maren Hachmeister, Research Fellow, Hannah Arendt Institute for Research on Totalitarianism at the TU Dresden
• Dr. Ondřej Matějka, Director of Eduzměna Kutnohorsko, historian, and former Deputy Director of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes (ÚSTR)
• Dr. Zuzana Lizcová, Head of the Department of German and Austrian Studies, Institute of International Studies, Charles University in Prague

Moderator: Malte Pieper

Venue

Zittau, Hillersche Villa Klieneberger Platz 1 "Kulturboden" (Cultural Loft) and Café Jolesch 02763 Zittau Germany