Reading and talk with Siegbert Schefke
A book about the value of freedom of opinion and the risk of having one's own opinion
It's October 10, 1989, and the Tagesthemen news program opens with a slightly shaky video of the huge demonstration in Leipzig the night before. The presenter announces the film as a sensational contribution by an "Italian" team. In reality, the video was made by two young opposition activists from the GDR, Siegbert Schefke and Aram Radomski.
Schefke became involved in peace and environmental circles in 1986. He was one of the co-founders of the environmental library in Berlin's Zion congregation. As a photographer, cameraman and reporter, he worked conspiratorially in the GDR from 1987 for various television magazines such as the ARD magazine "Kontraste", documenting environmental destruction and the decay of historic cities in the GDR as well as cases of political persecution of opposition activists and artists with secretly filmed footage.
Because of his commitment, the Stasi saw him as one of the most dangerous members of the opposition, as his television images also reached the GDR population. On October 9, 1989, when Western journalists were no longer allowed access to Leipzig, Schefke and Radomski secretly filmed from the tower of the Reformed Church during the largest and most decisive Monday demonstration up to that point.
On this evening, Siegbert Schefke will talk about the events of '89, read passages from his book and can then be asked about the details in a discussion.
In cooperation with the European Academy MV,
sponsored by the State Center for Political Education MV