Expressing "sorrow and shame" Thursday, East Germany for the first time shared blame for the Holocaust and begged forgiveness from Israel and "all the Jews of the world." The historic apology...
GDR however always recognized nazi crimes and holocaust but they rejected framework of inherited german guilt claiming that they were a new socialist, anti fascist state that had already broken with nazism. East German leaders claimed the real heirs of Nazism were capitalist elites and former Nazis allegedly integrated into West German society.
They interpreted nazism mainly through anti-fascism and class struggle often downplaying the Holocaust’s specifically Jewish dimension compared with later West German and contemporary Holocaust memory.
Not to forget they were vocal anti zionist (especially after 1967) which changed after german unification.
GDR however always recognized nazi crimes and holocaust but they rejected framework of inherited german guilt claiming that they were a new socialist, anti fascist state that had already broken with nazism. East German leaders claimed the real heirs of Nazism were capitalist elites and former Nazis allegedly integrated into West German society.
They interpreted nazism mainly through anti-fascism and class struggle often downplaying the Holocaust’s specifically Jewish dimension compared with later West German and contemporary Holocaust memory.
Not to forget they were vocal anti zionist (especially after 1967) which changed after german unification.