GDR | Next generation of Stasi officers

Linda Teuteberg at the FDP federal party conference at the end of May Photo: dpa/Michael Kappeler Linda Teuteberg comes from the GDR. She was born just outside Berlin in Königs Wusterhausen. But when the Wall came down in November 1989, she was just eight years old. After all, Teuteberg apparently fulfills this role and without any discussion about at least one qualification for the position of the State of Brandenburg's representative for dealing with the consequences of the communist dictatorship, as the function is very awkwardly described. Such a representative must neither have been a member of the SED nor have worked for the GDR Ministry for State Security.

"In view of her age, I note that this requirement is obviously present," said SPD parliamentary group leader Björn Lüttmann on Tuesday when Teuteberg presented himself to the state parliament's main committee at a special session.

The previous state representative Maria Nooke has applied for her retirement on October 1, 2026 and at the same time proposed the deputy FDP federal chairwoman Linda Teuteberg as her successor. Nooke has held the position since 2017. Before her, the first representative was Ulrike Poppe, and both women have a past in the GDR citizens' movement - Poppe with the Peace and Human Rights Initiative, Nooke as co-editor of the opposition publication "Aufbruch".

After other federal states had long since installed Stasi state representatives, Brandenburg only decided to do so in July 2009. In December of that year, Poppe was unanimously elected by the state parliament. It was precisely the time when a red-red coalition was formed for the first time in Brandenburg. This coalition was then exposed to severe attacks because of the Stasi past of several members of the Left faction.

Ulrike Poppe and Maria Nooke experienced the GDR as adults. But if reappraisal is to remain an important issue, then a new generation is needed to take it on, explains Linda Teuteberg in the main committee. “There is some previous experience that I bring with me.” The 45-year-old mentions volunteer work at the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Stasi Memorial, in the Federal Foundation for Coming to terms with the SED Dictatorship and in the advisory board for advising former GDR children in care who were allowed to apply for compensation.

»I am happy about everyone who runs for office and is active in party politics. I don’t think that’s a drawback.”

"I believe there is a right to one's own experiences and to memories of beautiful private things or of decent behavior and performance at work, but facts are not the subject of negotiation," says Teuteberg, rejecting interpretations by the GDR, which CDU parliamentary group leader Steeven Bretz later describes as misrepresentation of history.

BSW parliamentary group leader Niels-Olaf Lüders criticizes the procedure for filling the position. There was no call for tenders. That could have been done if there had been an agreement among all four factions. But we are “a long way from that,” complains Lüders, also with regard to the fact that the AfD has now demonstratively stayed away from the special session. Rather, it was simply decided with the votes of the SPD and CDU coalition factions.

Lüders asks Teuteberg, whom he does not want to accuse of this, how the required party political neutrality as a representative is compatible with the fact that she is the deputy federal chairwoman of the FDP.

“I realize that this is irritating at first glance, simply because this case rarely occurs,” admits Teuteberg. Less than two percent of German citizens are even members of a party, even fewer have a position there, and there are not that many state representatives. However, her FDP membership does not violate any rules; there is no incompatibility between the commissioner's position and the party function, explains Teuteberg, who is a lawyer by profession and has been a member of the state and federal parliaments.

CDU parliamentary group leader Bretz admits that a call for tenders would have been feasible, but that it was not mandatory. Bretz emphasizes: “Every other faction was free to make suggestions here too.” They could have suggested candidates. But that didn't happen. »I am happy about everyone who runs for office and is active in party politics. I don’t think that’s a shortcoming,” says the CDU politician. He believes that it is a lesson from the history of the SED that representatives of other parties are also allowed to run for office.

This is formulated imprecisely: members of the CDU, LDPD, NDPD and the farmers' party DBD held numerous and high-ranking positions in the GDR, which is often forgotten today. The leading role was, of course, reserved for the SED.

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