Marie-Luise Troebs, a 10-year-old girl in 1961, was forced to leave her home in Geisa, East Germany, along with her family due to the policies of the communist regime. After more than six decades, Troebs and other forcibly displaced people see hope in their struggle to receive compensation from the government. The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) is seeking to expand the number of East Germans who qualify as victims of injustice and grant them compensation.
Between 1925 and 1961, about 12,000 people were displaced from the border areas between East and West Germany. Only about a thousand survivors of this group remain. The authorities justified these displacements to build infrastructure and eliminate threats to order in the border area.
The forcibly displaced, like Troebs and Inge Bennewitz, suffered lasting trauma from losing their homes and being treated as criminals. They have lived with emotional scars and experienced difficulties in their new homes.
Germany began compensating victims of injustice by the communist regime in 1992, but forcibly displaced persons have not been recognized as a specific group eligible for compensation. The process for claiming compensation has been complex and requires a high burden of proof due to the lack of complete documents at the time.
Evelyn Zupke, the government official in charge of compensation, is working to expand the scope of compensation laws and ensure that forcibly displaced people receive the recognition and reparations they deserve. Zupke urges politicians to act quickly and honor the victims who are still alive. A law to this effect is expected to be passed this year.
The forcibly displaced seek justice and peace and hope to receive adequate compensation for the traumas they have suffered throughout their lives.