Friedenskinder,2024
"Someone who is taking a deep breath will experience the world differently from someone who is being throttled."—Reiner Kunze, 1981
The GDR branded itself as a "peace state," projecting an image of democracy and pacifism while enforcing systematic militarisation. From kindergarten through university, education was infused with military ideology. School materials and activities instilled discipline, obedience, and a rigid friend-enemy worldview. Annual manoeuvres like Snowflake and pre-military training programmes reinforced these values, with my cohort attending a six-week course in Beichlingen. Independent peace movements were not tolerated—they were seen as threats to the state's defence readiness. This early indoctrination aimed to mould children into loyal defenders of the socialist fatherland, embedding them deeply within state ideology. Since 1962, 18 months of compulsory military service had been enforced. Those unwilling to bear arms could opt for non-armed service, but refusal often led to imprisonment. Conscientious objection was not recognised, and university admission required a commitment to three years of military service.
In the mid-1980s, as a young teacher, I was suddenly summoned to the district council after school. I had no idea what the meeting was about and no opportunity to prepare. After a tense bus ride, I was led to a closed door. Inside, a panel of officials awaited me, along with my headmaster and the parents of a student. The boy had applied to become a professional officer at just 14, and I was questioned about why I had not presented him as a role model to the class. They also challenged how, as a non-member of the FDJ youth organisation, I could be trusted to convey socialist ideals. Completely overwhelmed, I broke down—a moment that has stayed with me to this day.
Friedenskinder is inspired by Reiner Kunze’s Die wunderbaren Jahre, a book that profoundly shaped my understanding of repression and resistance. Kunze’s critical portrayal of the GDR’s totalitarian system led to censorship, surveillance, and his eventual expulsion from East Germany. His short story Friedenskinder, published only in the West in 1976, directly questioned the militarisation of children. This project is a homage to Kunze and a reflection on how ideology seeps into the lives of the young, shaping their futures in ways they may not fully understand.
For this work, I cut up copies of Kunze’s typed text and rolled them into 64 rifle shell cases, each 5 cm long. These sculptural objects embody the tension between repression and resistance, symbolising how words of dissent, even when silenced, persist within the very tools of control.
Installation Details
Two images, each measuring 44 cm high by 92 cm wide, or divided into six panels, each 44 cm high by 33 cm wide. The prints are Giclée inkjet prints on INNOVA White Matte 285g.
The sculptural objects are placed in a munition box used by the NVA (National People’s Army),
The GDR branded itself as a "peace state," projecting an image of democracy and pacifism while enforcing systematic militarisation. From kindergarten through university, education was infused with military ideology. School materials and activities instilled discipline, obedience, and a rigid friend-enemy worldview. Annual manoeuvres like Snowflake and pre-military training programmes reinforced these values, with my cohort attending a six-week course in Beichlingen. Independent peace movements were not tolerated—they were seen as threats to the state's defence readiness. This early indoctrination aimed to mould children into loyal defenders of the socialist fatherland, embedding them deeply within state ideology. Since 1962, 18 months of compulsory military service had been enforced. Those unwilling to bear arms could opt for non-armed service, but refusal often led to imprisonment. Conscientious objection was not recognised, and university admission required a commitment to three years of military service.
In the mid-1980s, as a young teacher, I was suddenly summoned to the district council after school. I had no idea what the meeting was about and no opportunity to prepare. After a tense bus ride, I was led to a closed door. Inside, a panel of officials awaited me, along with my headmaster and the parents of a student. The boy had applied to become a professional officer at just 14, and I was questioned about why I had not presented him as a role model to the class. They also challenged how, as a non-member of the FDJ youth organisation, I could be trusted to convey socialist ideals. Completely overwhelmed, I broke down—a moment that has stayed with me to this day.
Friedenskinder is inspired by Reiner Kunze’s Die wunderbaren Jahre, a book that profoundly shaped my understanding of repression and resistance. Kunze’s critical portrayal of the GDR’s totalitarian system led to censorship, surveillance, and his eventual expulsion from East Germany. His short story Friedenskinder, published only in the West in 1976, directly questioned the militarisation of children. This project is a homage to Kunze and a reflection on how ideology seeps into the lives of the young, shaping their futures in ways they may not fully understand.
For this work, I cut up copies of Kunze’s typed text and rolled them into 64 rifle shell cases, each 5 cm long. These sculptural objects embody the tension between repression and resistance, symbolising how words of dissent, even when silenced, persist within the very tools of control.
Installation Details
Two images, each measuring 44 cm high by 92 cm wide, or divided into six panels, each 44 cm high by 33 cm wide. The prints are Giclée inkjet prints on INNOVA White Matte 285g.
The sculptural objects are placed in a munition box used by the NVA (National People’s Army),
