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Remembering East Germany

  • Home
  • About the Author
    • Professional Profile
    • Curriculum Vitae
  • Contents of Memoir
  • Preface
  • Introduction
  • Parts 1-7
    • 1. Opening Report in My Stasi-File: June 6, 1973
    • 2. Background: 1969–1975
    • 3. Meeting at the GDR Writers’ Union: September 11, 1975
    • 4. Connections and Preparations
    • 5. Interview Questions
    • 6. List of Writers
    • 7. Person of Interest
  • Parts 8-15
    • 8. First Report from IME “Dichter”: November 25, 1975
    • 9. First Report from IMV “Kurt”: November 25, 1975
    • 10. IMV “Kurt” and IMV “Julia”
    • 11. Second Report from IMV “Kurt”: December 11, 1975
    • 12. Informational Report: January 26, 1976
    • 13. Contact with Stefan Heym: February, 1976
    • 14. Friedrichshain Municipal Hospital: March/April, 1976
    • 15. Third Report from IMV “Kurt”: June 4, 1976
  • Parts 16-22
    • 16. First Report from IMV “Uwe”: June 4, 1976
    • 17. Eberhard Scheibner’s Report: June 18, 1976
    • 18. Visit with Konrad Reich in Rostock: June 20, 1976
    • 19. Informational Report: July 22, 1976
    • 20. Decision Not to Include Wolf Biermann
    • 21. Project Status: Summer/Fall, 1976
    • 22. Expatriation of Wolf Biermann: November, 1976
  • Parts 23-29
    • 23. Presentation at the MLA Convention: December 27, 1976
    • 24. Persons Pursuing Ideological Subversion: December, 1976
    • 25. Second Report from IMV “Uwe”: February 11, 1977
    • 26. Contract with Nordland Publishing Company: January, 1977
    • 27. Return to Berlin: June, 1977
    • 28. Fourth Report from IMV “Kurt”: June 8, 1977
    • 29. Return to East Berlin as an IREX Scholar: October, 1977
  • Parts 30-36
    • 30. First Report from IM “Dölbl”: October 19, 1977
    • 31. Invitation to Jurek Becker (1)
    • 32. Marital Problems Cause Brief Setback
    • 33. Second Report from IM “Dölbl”: December 1, 1977
    • 34. Fifth Report from IMV “Kurt”: December 2, 1977
    • 35. Sixth Report from IMV “Kurt”: December 9, 1977
    • 36. Farewell Dinner Party / First Surveillance Report: December 13, 1977
  • Parts 37-42
    • 37. First Report on Farewell Dinner Party by IMV “Kurt”
    • 38. Second Report on Farewell Dinner Party by IMV “Kurt”
    • 39. Second Report from IME “Dichter”: December 30, 1977
    • 40. Invitation to Jurek Becker (2)
    • 41. Informational Report: January 7, 1978
    • 42. Jurek Becker in Oberlin: February – May, 1978
  • Parts 43-49
    • 43. Return to East Berlin as an IREX Scholar: May, 1978
    • 44. First Report from IMV “Julia”: May 25, 1978
    • 45. Second Surveillance Report: May 25, 1978
    • 46. Second Report from IMV “Julia”: June 6, 1978
    • 47. Assertions about Richard Zipser
    • 48. Anthology of Contemporary East German Poetry: A New Project
    • 49. Report on Visit with Kito Lorenc in Wuischke am Czorneboh: June 3-4, 1978
  • Parts 50-56
    • 50. Report on Meeting with Students on June 15-16, 1978
    • 51. Top Secret Informational Report: July 17, 1978
    • 52. Top Secret Informational Report: August 4, 1978
    • 53. Possible Denial of Re-entry into the GDR
    • 54. 8th GDR Writers Congress: May 28-31, 1978
    • 55. Fritz Rudolf Fries: IMS “Pedro Hagen”
    • 56. First Report in the File Labelled “Pedro Hagen”
  • Parts 57-63
    • 57. Report on May 24, 1978 Meeting: IMS “Pedro Hagen” and His Stasi-Handler
    • 58. Report on May 29-30, 1978 Meetings: IMS “Pedro Hagen” and His Stasi-Handler
    • 59. Report Dated June 27, 1978
    • 60. Next Two Years at Oberlin College: 1978 to 1980
    • 61. Proposal for Another Project: Anthology of Literature by Young GDR Writers
    • 62. Year at the Hoover Institution: August, 1980–August, 1981
    • 63. Two Newspaper Articles of Interest
  • Parts 64-70
    • 64. Review of Stefan Heym’s Die Schmähschrift oder Königin gegen Defoe
    • 65. Nine Writers Expelled from GDR Writers’ Union: June, 1979
    • 66. IMB “Pedro Hagen” Plans to Visit Richard Zipser in California
    • 67. Report on March 12, 1981 Meeting: IMB “Pedro Hagen” and His Stasi-Handler
    • 68. Report on May 13, 1981 Meeting: IMB “Pedro Hagen” and His Stasi-Handler
    • 69. IMB “Pedro Hagen” Reports on His Visit with Richard Zipser in California
    • 70. Fritz Rudolf Fries’s Imaginative Essay on His Visit to San Francisco
  • Parts 71-77
    • 71. Creating a Network of GDR Sympathizers at US Universities
    • 72. IMB “Pedro Hagen” Finds a GDR Sympathizer in Minnesota
    • 73. IMB “Pedro Hagen” Reports on Nordland Publishing
    • 74. Problems with Nordland Publishing: 1980-1982
    • 75. Stasi Correspondence on Richard Zipser: May/June, 1981
    • 76. IMB “Pedro Hagen” Receives a Present from Richard Zipser
    • 77. IMB “Pedro Hagen” Plans a Second Trip to the United States
  • Parts 78-84
    • 78. Bernd Jentzsch in Oberlin: February–May, 1982
    • 79. IMB “Pedro Hagen” Cultivates a GDR Sympathizer: July, 1982
    • 80. Request for Surveillance of Richard Zipser: January 26, 1983
    • 81. No Sign of Richard Zipser or His Book
    • 82. A Publisher for DDR-Literatur im Tauwetter
    • 83. Promotion to Full Professor and New Position: 1985–1986
    • 84. Invitation to Helga Schütz
  • Parts 85-91
    • 85. Return to East Germany: March, 1985
    • 86. Cynthia Miller’s Invitation to a Reception in Honor of Richard Zipser
    • 87. IMB “Pedro Hagen” Reports on the Reception at Cynthia Miller’s Residence
    • 88. More Reports on the Reception at Cynthia Miller’s Residence
    • 89. Book Fair in Leipzig: March, 1985
    • 90. Final Report in the File Labelled “Pedro Hagen”: March 18, 1985
    • 91. Re-entry Ban: June 11, 1985
  • Parts 92-98
    • 92. Final Comments on Informant/Writer Fritz Rudolf Fries
    • 93. Karl-Heinz Jakobs in Oberlin: February – May, 1986
    • 94. New Hampshire Symposia for the Study of the GDR
    • 95. Final Report in My Stasi-File: August, 1986
    • 96. Review of Studies in GDR Culture and Society 6: August, 1987
    • 97. DDR-Studien/East German Studies
    • 98. Final Entry to My Stasi-File: March 17, 1988
  • Parts 99-105
    • 99. Fall of the Berlin Wall: November 9, 1989
    • 100. Project on Literary Censorship in the German-Speaking Countries: 1987–1990
    • 101. Last Trip to East Berlin: July, 1990
    • 102. Reunification of Germany: October 3, 1990
    • 103. Fragebogen: Zensur / Questionnaire: Censorship
    • 104. Three Letters and a Response from Uwe Berger: 1993–1994
    • 105. In Search of My Stasi-File (1)
  • Parts 106-112
    • 106. Joachim Walther’s Sicherungsbereich Literatur / Security Zone Literature
    • 107. US Germanists in the Index to Joachim Walther’s Book
    • 108. In Search of My Stasi-File (2)
    • 109. Arrival of My Stasi-File: January 22, 1999
    • 110. Coming Full Circle
    • 111. In Search of More Information in the Stasi-Files of Others
    • 112. In Retrospect
  • Addendum
  • Afterword
  • Tribute
  • Photos of GDR Writers
    • Gallery 1: Arendt to Endler
    • Gallery 2: Erb to Jentzsch
    • Gallery 3: Kant to Mickel
    • Gallery 4: Morgner to Schlesinger
    • Gallery 5: Schneider to Wolf
  • Major GDR-Related Publications
    • 1. Die neuen Leiden des jungen W.
    • 2. Contemporary East German Poetry
    • 3. DDR-Literatur im Tauwetter: Wandel – Wunsch – Wirklichkeit
    • 4. Literary Censorship in the German-Speaking Countries
    • 5. Fragebogen: Zensur. Zur Literatur vor und nach dem Ende der DDR
    • 6. Literary Portrayals of Postunification Germany
    • 7. Von Oberlin nach Ostberlin. Als Amerikaner unterwegs in der DDR-Literaturszene
    • 8. DDR-Studien/East German Studies
Remembering East Germany

Welcome

But what a gift to memory is a Stasi file.
Far better than a madeleine.

Timothy Garton Ash, The File, 1997

Welcome to the online English edition of Richard A. Zipser’s documentary memoir.

For the published German edition, see Von Oberlin nach Ostberlin: Als Amerikaner unterwegs in der DDR-Literaturszene. Berlin: Ch. Links Verlag, 2013. 224 pages.

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Author Information

Richard A. Zipser
Professor Emeritus of German

University of Delaware
Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures
Jastak-Burgess Hall
30 East Main Street
Newark, DE 19716
(302) 831-6882
zipser@udel.edu

  • Home
  • About the Author
    • Professional Profile
    • Curriculum Vitae
  • Contents of Memoir
  • Preface
  • Introduction
  • Parts 1-7
    • 1. Opening Report in My Stasi-File: June 6, 1973
    • 2. Background: 1969–1975
    • 3. Meeting at the GDR Writers’ Union: September 11, 1975
    • 4. Connections and Preparations
    • 5. Interview Questions
    • 6. List of Writers
    • 7. Person of Interest
  • Parts 8-15
    • 8. First Report from IME “Dichter”: November 25, 1975
    • 9. First Report from IMV “Kurt”: November 25, 1975
    • 10. IMV “Kurt” and IMV “Julia”
    • 11. Second Report from IMV “Kurt”: December 11, 1975
    • 12. Informational Report: January 26, 1976
    • 13. Contact with Stefan Heym: February, 1976
    • 14. Friedrichshain Municipal Hospital: March/April, 1976
    • 15. Third Report from IMV “Kurt”: June 4, 1976
  • Parts 16-22
    • 16. First Report from IMV “Uwe”: June 4, 1976
    • 17. Eberhard Scheibner’s Report: June 18, 1976
    • 18. Visit with Konrad Reich in Rostock: June 20, 1976
    • 19. Informational Report: July 22, 1976
    • 20. Decision Not to Include Wolf Biermann
    • 21. Project Status: Summer/Fall, 1976
    • 22. Expatriation of Wolf Biermann: November, 1976
  • Parts 23-29
    • 23. Presentation at the MLA Convention: December 27, 1976
    • 24. Persons Pursuing Ideological Subversion: December, 1976
    • 25. Second Report from IMV “Uwe”: February 11, 1977
    • 26. Contract with Nordland Publishing Company: January, 1977
    • 27. Return to Berlin: June, 1977
    • 28. Fourth Report from IMV “Kurt”: June 8, 1977
    • 29. Return to East Berlin as an IREX Scholar: October, 1977
  • Parts 30-36
    • 30. First Report from IM “Dölbl”: October 19, 1977
    • 31. Invitation to Jurek Becker (1)
    • 32. Marital Problems Cause Brief Setback
    • 33. Second Report from IM “Dölbl”: December 1, 1977
    • 34. Fifth Report from IMV “Kurt”: December 2, 1977
    • 35. Sixth Report from IMV “Kurt”: December 9, 1977
    • 36. Farewell Dinner Party / First Surveillance Report: December 13, 1977
  • Parts 37-42
    • 37. First Report on Farewell Dinner Party by IMV “Kurt”
    • 38. Second Report on Farewell Dinner Party by IMV “Kurt”
    • 39. Second Report from IME “Dichter”: December 30, 1977
    • 40. Invitation to Jurek Becker (2)
    • 41. Informational Report: January 7, 1978
    • 42. Jurek Becker in Oberlin: February – May, 1978
  • Parts 43-49
    • 43. Return to East Berlin as an IREX Scholar: May, 1978
    • 44. First Report from IMV “Julia”: May 25, 1978
    • 45. Second Surveillance Report: May 25, 1978
    • 46. Second Report from IMV “Julia”: June 6, 1978
    • 47. Assertions about Richard Zipser
    • 48. Anthology of Contemporary East German Poetry: A New Project
    • 49. Report on Visit with Kito Lorenc in Wuischke am Czorneboh: June 3-4, 1978
  • Parts 50-56
    • 50. Report on Meeting with Students on June 15-16, 1978
    • 51. Top Secret Informational Report: July 17, 1978
    • 52. Top Secret Informational Report: August 4, 1978
    • 53. Possible Denial of Re-entry into the GDR
    • 54. 8th GDR Writers Congress: May 28-31, 1978
    • 55. Fritz Rudolf Fries: IMS “Pedro Hagen”
    • 56. First Report in the File Labelled “Pedro Hagen”
  • Parts 57-63
    • 57. Report on May 24, 1978 Meeting: IMS “Pedro Hagen” and His Stasi-Handler
    • 58. Report on May 29-30, 1978 Meetings: IMS “Pedro Hagen” and His Stasi-Handler
    • 59. Report Dated June 27, 1978
    • 60. Next Two Years at Oberlin College: 1978 to 1980
    • 61. Proposal for Another Project: Anthology of Literature by Young GDR Writers
    • 62. Year at the Hoover Institution: August, 1980–August, 1981
    • 63. Two Newspaper Articles of Interest
  • Parts 64-70
    • 64. Review of Stefan Heym’s Die Schmähschrift oder Königin gegen Defoe
    • 65. Nine Writers Expelled from GDR Writers’ Union: June, 1979
    • 66. IMB “Pedro Hagen” Plans to Visit Richard Zipser in California
    • 67. Report on March 12, 1981 Meeting: IMB “Pedro Hagen” and His Stasi-Handler
    • 68. Report on May 13, 1981 Meeting: IMB “Pedro Hagen” and His Stasi-Handler
    • 69. IMB “Pedro Hagen” Reports on His Visit with Richard Zipser in California
    • 70. Fritz Rudolf Fries’s Imaginative Essay on His Visit to San Francisco
  • Parts 71-77
    • 71. Creating a Network of GDR Sympathizers at US Universities
    • 72. IMB “Pedro Hagen” Finds a GDR Sympathizer in Minnesota
    • 73. IMB “Pedro Hagen” Reports on Nordland Publishing
    • 74. Problems with Nordland Publishing: 1980-1982
    • 75. Stasi Correspondence on Richard Zipser: May/June, 1981
    • 76. IMB “Pedro Hagen” Receives a Present from Richard Zipser
    • 77. IMB “Pedro Hagen” Plans a Second Trip to the United States
  • Parts 78-84
    • 78. Bernd Jentzsch in Oberlin: February–May, 1982
    • 79. IMB “Pedro Hagen” Cultivates a GDR Sympathizer: July, 1982
    • 80. Request for Surveillance of Richard Zipser: January 26, 1983
    • 81. No Sign of Richard Zipser or His Book
    • 82. A Publisher for DDR-Literatur im Tauwetter
    • 83. Promotion to Full Professor and New Position: 1985–1986
    • 84. Invitation to Helga Schütz
  • Parts 85-91
    • 85. Return to East Germany: March, 1985
    • 86. Cynthia Miller’s Invitation to a Reception in Honor of Richard Zipser
    • 87. IMB “Pedro Hagen” Reports on the Reception at Cynthia Miller’s Residence
    • 88. More Reports on the Reception at Cynthia Miller’s Residence
    • 89. Book Fair in Leipzig: March, 1985
    • 90. Final Report in the File Labelled “Pedro Hagen”: March 18, 1985
    • 91. Re-entry Ban: June 11, 1985
  • Parts 92-98
    • 92. Final Comments on Informant/Writer Fritz Rudolf Fries
    • 93. Karl-Heinz Jakobs in Oberlin: February – May, 1986
    • 94. New Hampshire Symposia for the Study of the GDR
    • 95. Final Report in My Stasi-File: August, 1986
    • 96. Review of Studies in GDR Culture and Society 6: August, 1987
    • 97. DDR-Studien/East German Studies
    • 98. Final Entry to My Stasi-File: March 17, 1988
  • Parts 99-105
    • 99. Fall of the Berlin Wall: November 9, 1989
    • 100. Project on Literary Censorship in the German-Speaking Countries: 1987–1990
    • 101. Last Trip to East Berlin: July, 1990
    • 102. Reunification of Germany: October 3, 1990
    • 103. Fragebogen: Zensur / Questionnaire: Censorship
    • 104. Three Letters and a Response from Uwe Berger: 1993–1994
    • 105. In Search of My Stasi-File (1)
  • Parts 106-112
    • 106. Joachim Walther’s Sicherungsbereich Literatur / Security Zone Literature
    • 107. US Germanists in the Index to Joachim Walther’s Book
    • 108. In Search of My Stasi-File (2)
    • 109. Arrival of My Stasi-File: January 22, 1999
    • 110. Coming Full Circle
    • 111. In Search of More Information in the Stasi-Files of Others
    • 112. In Retrospect
  • Addendum
  • Afterword
  • Tribute
  • Photos of GDR Writers
    • Gallery 1: Arendt to Endler
    • Gallery 2: Erb to Jentzsch
    • Gallery 3: Kant to Mickel
    • Gallery 4: Morgner to Schlesinger
    • Gallery 5: Schneider to Wolf
  • Major GDR-Related Publications
    • 1. Die neuen Leiden des jungen W.
    • 2. Contemporary East German Poetry
    • 3. DDR-Literatur im Tauwetter: Wandel – Wunsch – Wirklichkeit
    • 4. Literary Censorship in the German-Speaking Countries
    • 5. Fragebogen: Zensur. Zur Literatur vor und nach dem Ende der DDR
    • 6. Literary Portrayals of Postunification Germany
    • 7. Von Oberlin nach Ostberlin. Als Amerikaner unterwegs in der DDR-Literaturszene
    • 8. DDR-Studien/East German Studies
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