Asserting Identity Jewish Repatriates in the GDR

Alia Schultz

Date of Award

2007

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Humanities

First Advisor

Cuomo, Glenn

Keywords

Jews, GDR, Germany, Post-War, Religious Identity

Area of Concentration

German Studies

Abstract

My thesis deals with Jews who chose to repatriate to the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and their struggle with identity. Simply by choosing to live in Germany they were defying the expectations of many who believed that no Jew would ever again want to call any German state home. Their reasons for repatriation varied. Some chose to return because of an attachment to Germany, others because they believed in the ideals of the GDR and wanted to create a model communist state. I argue that all of these Jews had to choose whether they were going to identify themselves as Jews, and in doing so tie themselves to the past, or whether they were going to present themselves as communists, and relegate their Judaism to an accident of heritage. In looking at the way that they made these choices, I examined the way that the GDR perceived Jews, through depictions in literature, film, school texts and other media. I also examined interviews of Jewish GDR citizens to evaluate the way that they saw their positions and roles in the GDR.

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