04. März HOW CAN THE UOKG PROVE THAT ALDI BENEFITED FROM THE SYSTEM OF FORCED PRISON LABOR?

A research project initiated by the UOKG in 2023, funded by the BKM, and conducted by Humboldt University (HU) Berlin, was able to demonstrate that proving complete supply chains from East to West, while complex, is possible in a large number of cases.
In the preliminary study, this was carried out using various products – in the case of ALDI, these are the women’s tights from VEB Esda Thalheim, which were produced by inmates of the Hoheneck women’s prison in Saxony until the end of 1989 and sold by ALDI Nord + Süd in millions of units. The evidence for this has been known for well over a decade.
Furthermore, the preliminary study also demonstrates the probable connections between the working conditions and the long-term health complaints reported by those affected. The research results were presented to the public on April 22, 2024, and can be reviewed in the final report of the preliminary study „Forced Labor of Political Prisoners in Penal Institutions of the GDR„.

The project was realized by Prof. Dr. Jörg Baberowski from the Chair of Eastern European History at HU Berlin, and the authors of the study are Dr. Markus Mirschel and Samuel Kunze. The complete preliminary study, a summary, and more information in English can be found at this link: www.uokg.de/againstforcedlabor