As he prepares to leave office, the outgoing President of the Federal Agency for Civic Education, Thomas Krüger, has highlighted what he perceives as a growing tendency to portray East Germans as victims In comments to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, Krüger cautioned against swift judgements and generalizations, stating that depicting East Germans as inherently right-wing or hostile is often inaccurate and deeply offensive
Krüger also expressed concern about the increasing assignment of a victim role to people from the former East Germany, emphasizing the diversity within the region – a diversity that, he argues, mirrored the complexities of the former German Democratic Republic itself He stressed that East Germany, like West Germany, encompasses a wide range of perspectives, identities and socio-economic backgrounds
He urged a more nuanced understanding, calling for East Germans to be challenged to openly discuss their strengths and weaknesses, rather than reinforcing perceived victimhood or glossing over complexities Krüger believes that courageous voices within the East German community are needed to lead a more honest public conversation
Krüger also proposed a shift in comparative perspective, suggesting that East Germany should be examined alongside other post-communist states in Central and Eastern Europe, rather than primarily through the lens of West German development He noted similarities in societal evolution and highlighted increasing dynamism amongst younger generations due to greater freedom of movement He also cautioned against dismissing the support for right-populist parties in these societies, pointing to underlying desires for change
In his final remarks, Krüger underscored the importance of mutual tolerance as a foundation for a healthy democracy He defined democracy as a space for dissenting opinions, within the bounds defined by the Basic Law-specifically rejecting positions rooted in hostility, human rights violations, or homophobia
Addressing perceived limitations in the current democratic discourse, Krüger suggested that perhaps too much emphasis has been placed on empowerment and visibility for marginalized groups, potentially leading to a sense of overwhelm He noted a tendency for individuals to align strongly with specific groups-and to actively reject those who hold differing views-a development he considers problematic for democratic principles “It is important to be able to withstand free and open discussions” he stated, emphasizing the necessity of accepting differing opinions even among family, friends and neighbors without holding grudges
Krüger, who was born in Thuringia, will officially retire on Sunday after 25 years leading the Federal Agency for Civic Education and will be formally honored at a farewell ceremony on Friday