The Wall. Those were the days.
Just two weeks ago, a member of the state parliament in Lower Saxony decided it would be a good idea to go on television to defend the East German secret police, known as the Stasi. Christel Wegner, who entered parliament on the Left Party list but is actually a member of Germany's Communist Party, said: "I think that when one builds a new societal form, then one needs such an organ because one has to protect oneself from other forces, reactionary forces, that look for opportunities to weaken a state from the inside."
She wasn't done. Later in the interview, she said that "the construction of the Wall was, in any case, a measure taken to prevent West Germans from continuing to come into East Germany." It didn't take long for the Left Party to drop her from its parliamentary group and demand that she give up her seat.
The Communists Did It!
Wolfgang Böhmer, of the Christian Democrats, argued recently that a recent spate of baby deaths in eastern Germany can be blamed on a "more casual approach to new life in eastern Germany" stemming from the fact that in former East Germany, women could easily obtain abortions until the 12th week of pregnancy. Böhmer, a trained gynaecologist, said that some women "came to us in the hospital and just said with a grin 'get rid of it' because they had booked a vacation on the Black Sea coast. That attitude to life has influenced today's attitude. I have the impression that child killings -- and there always have been -- are a means of family planning." The outrage that followed quickly silenced Böhmer.
Post to other social networks:
Stay informed with our free news services:
| All news from SPIEGEL International | Twitter | RSS |
| All news from Germany section | RSS |
© SPIEGEL ONLINE 2008
All Rights Reserved
Reproduction only allowed with the permission of SPIEGELnet GmbH
