From collective to association? Figurations of remembering and former state-owned enterprises in post-1989 Eastern Germany

ABSTRACT

The post-socialist transformation of Eastern Germany exterted a decisive influence on the world of work. The privatization and liquidation of the State-Owned Enterprises (Volkseigene Betriebe, VEB) changed the lives of their employees. Not only was an employee’s employment status suddenly called into question, but also their everyday lives and social environment. Today, many former members of the VEB workforce remain dedicated to preserving the memory of their factories. To achieve this, they drew on their social contacts from VEB settings and formed associations, initiatives, and interest groups. This article explores the new forms of togetherness and social cohesion created by those active in these groups, in addition to their motivations for establishing these associations. Adopting an actor-centred perspective, the article introduces two case studies drawn from a broader body of interview material gathered as part of a three-year ethnographic research project. Both case studies illustrate the interconnections between individual life stories and involvement with specific associations. The case studies are followed by a discussion of open-ended interpretive approaches that present possible ways of deepening the analysis of this material. With reference to the case studies, I suggest describing the groups and their activities in terms of “figurations of remembering.”

KEYWORDS:

• Post-industrial
• post-socialist
• East germany
• memory
• figuration
• multiple transformations

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. The term Volkseigene Betriebe may be literally translated as “People’s Own Enterprises,” meaning “enterprises owned by the people.” Due to the ideological connotations of this term, I have selected the more critical translation “State-Owned Enterprises,” which emphasizes the role of the state that controlled the companies under discussion.

2. For a discussion of the role of momentum in change, please see the Introduction to this Special Issue.

3. Existing relationships between the ISGV and relevant associations, interest groups and initiatives, such as the Förderverein Margarethenhütte Großdubrau e.V., provided the basis and inspiration for the research. The Year of Industrial Culture (2020) in Saxony, funded by the Cultural Foundation of the Free State of Saxony, provided information about the phenomenon under investigation. As a consequence of the Year of Industrial Culture, the research topic received a certain degree of public attention during the project timeframe.

4. Twenty-nine associations, interest groups, and initiatives in Upper Lusatia and the Vogtland were contacted in total. Likely due to the restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and the difficulties in conducting their work during this period, many did not respond to the inquiries.

5. The low number of female participants illustrates that above all men are involved in the initiatives under investigation and occupy leadership positions within these organizations. A counter-example is the Förderverein Margarethenhütte Großdubrau e.V., within which two women predominantly determine the work of the organization. The low rate of female participation in the study is also related to the self-perception of the women actively involved in these organizations, several of whom did not see themselves as significant interview partners.

6. This quotation is drawn from my interview with Bernstein on 14 May 2020. The quotations that follow are drawn from the interview with Bernstein on 14 May 2020 and the group interview in which Bernstein participated on 18 August 2021.

7. This quotation, and those that follow, are drawn from my interview with Meier on 8 October 2021.

8. This information has been drawn from internal association documents and interviews with former members of the employee council.

9. In this regard, it is important to consider the histories of museums such as the Zeche Zollverein and the TextilWerk Bocholt, which emerged at an earlier stage in the BRD.

Additional information

Funding

This publication was created in the framework of the research project “Multiple Transformations. Social Experiences and Cultural Change in East Germany and East Central Europe before and after 1989” (2020-2022), supported by the Saxon State Ministry for Higher Education, Research, Culture and Tourism (SMWK). The endeavour was financed through tax resources in accordance with the budget adopted by the parliament of Saxony.

Notes on contributors

Oliver Wurzbacher

Oliver Wurzbacher researches cultures of memory, work cultures, and the post-1989 period of transformation in Eastern Germany. He studied ethnology, cultural history, and sociology at the Friedrich Schiller University, Jena. Wurzbacher was a research fellow at the Institute of Saxon History and Cultural Anthropology (ISGV) from 2020–2022, where he worked on the project “Social Heritage: Post-Socialist Organizations of Former GDR Production Collectives – Traditionalization and New Collectivization”.