As Germany reunified on October 3, 1990, the East German army Nationale Volksarmee (NVA) dissolved and surrendered all of its weapons, munitions, and real property to the West German Bundeswehr—but what happened to the socialist soldiers who comprised the NVA?
Philipp Schultheiss will discuss how East German soldiers were portrayed in public during the process of coming to terms with the GDR past, and how the former soldiers responded to these publicly ascribed roles. Drawing on empirical evidence from media analysis and interviews with the East German military community, Schultheiss argues that the process was a surprisingly silent assimilation.
Philipp Schultheiss, a visiting researcher at the Institute on a DAAD scholarship, is a doctoral candidate, research fellow, and lecturer in the Center for Conflict Studies at the University of Marburg. View CV
Complimentary lunch will be available while supplies last. The event is free and open to the public.
Originally published at nanovic.nd.edu.