A chronological summary with links to the respective articles in our News Blog:
2025
On January 30, 2025, the Bundestag voted on the amendment of the SED Injustice Remediation Act (SED-Unrechtsbereinigungsgesetz). Long-standing postulations are finally being implemented: Among other things, it is decided to set up a nationwide hardship fund for SED victims at the Foundation for Former Political Prisoners (Stiftung für ehemalige politische Häftlinge). The first company to announce a payment of 6 million euros to the fund in October 2024 was IKEA.
MP Carsten Müller (CDU/CSU) finds clear words in the Bundestag in the direction of German companies such as OTTO or ALDI, which at the time benefited from forced prison labor in the GDR, and expresses his expectation that they will participate in the hardship fund in a timely manner. Link to post
From February 21 to 23, 2025, members of the UOKG and contemporary witnesses once again organized various information and protest actions, this time in Dinslaken, Essen Bredeney, and downtown Essen. On Friday and Sunday, our research associate Peter Keup gave lectures to the interested public in Dinslaken and Essen on the topic of „Forced labor of political prisoners in GDR prisons.“ The contemporary witnesses Konstanze Helber from the Forum for Politically Persecuted and Imprisoned Women of the SBZ/SED Dictatorship e.V. and Prof. Dr. Karin Sorger reported, among other things, on their time in custody at the Hoheneck women’s prison.
Contemporary witnesses and those affected by prison forced labor jointly raised awareness of the issue and ALDI’s behavior, distributed ALDI information flyers in the Essen pedestrian zone, in front of an ALDI store, and in front of St. Markus‘ Church in Bredeney, and engaged in conversations with passersby and visitors. Link to Post
2024
On April 22, 2024, the research results of the preliminary study „Forced Labor of Political Prisoners in Penal Institutions of the GDR“ are presented in the Senate Hall of the Humboldt University in Berlin. The research project was initiated by the UOKG and was carried out under the direction of Prof. Dr. Jörg Baberowski, Chair of East European History at the Humboldt University. The authors of the study are Dr. Markus Mirschel and Samuel Kunze.
Dr. Mirschel explains that while proving complete supply chains from the producer’s factory to the customer in West Germany is complex, it is very possible in numerous cases. He illustrates this with the specific example of the export hit „Iris“ – women’s tights from the former VEB Strumpfkombinat Esda Thalheim – from production in the former Hoheneck women’s prison to the end seller ALDI Nord.
The complete study can be downloaded at the end of the page. There is also a summary here on this page. Link to post
On July 18, 2024, Dieter Dombrowski (Chairman, UOKG) and Peter Keup (Research Associate, UOKG) attempt to speak with representatives of ALDI Nord’s corporate headquarters in Essen about their involvement in the forced labor of political prisoners in the GDR. After several offers from the UOKG had been rejected or ignored, the two UOKG representatives, who themselves had to perform forced labor during the GDR era, appear in front of the corporate headquarters. The announced visit is documented by WDR (Westgerman Broadcasting). It ends at the gate, as ALDI refuses any conversation. Link to post
On October 15, 2024, UOKG members Konstanze Helber, Dieter Dombrowski, and Conny Kurtz protested with a banner in front of ALDI’s main headquarters in Essen to once again point out the questionability of prison forced labor in supply chains during the GDR era. Press representatives present were provided with updates on the situation, and also several dozen ALDI employees were given informative leaflets (see right). The UOKG filmed the protest.
It must be stated that ALDI is neither interested in the latest findings of scientific research nor willing to approach the political prisoners and those affected by prison forced labor in Hoheneck. This represents a blatant discrepancy to ALDI’s code of conduct and the propagated company credo of fairness and sustainability. The UOKG, as a victims‘ representation organization, therefore sees itself obligated to remind ALDI of its corporate goals and to start with the long overdue approach to the victims. Link to post
2021
In April 2021, the Chairman of the UOKG, Dieter Dombrowski, unsuccessfully sought a meeting with the Managing Director of Communication, Peter Wübben, of ALDI Süd in several letters.
2015
In February 2015, the then Chairman of the UOKG, Rainer Wagner, unsuccessfully sought a meeting with ALDI Nord and Süd in a letter to the managing directors.
The SWR (Southwest Broadcasting) releases the documentary „Ausgebeutet für den Klassenfeind – Wie DDR-Zwangsarbeiter für Westfirmen leiden mussten“ („Exploited for the Class Enemy – How GDR Forced Laborers Suffered for West German Companies“). The authors Achim Reinhardt and Claudia Butter, both reporters for Report Mainz, conducted weeks of research in the Federal Archives, the Stasi Archives, and state archives, and spoke with contemporary witnesses and scientists.
The film, through new, exclusive research, reveals how political prisoners in the GDR were exploited and which well-known Western companies made high profits from this. The authors confront former GDR officials and corporate managers, and ask the Federal Government about its responsibility to the victims of forced labor. They accompany political prisoners with the camera as they hold former GDR perpetrators and profiteers to account.
2014
Tobias Wunschik points to document finds in the Federal Archives that prove deliveries of the „Sayonara“ and „Iris“ women’s tights from the factory VEB Strumpfkombinat Esda Thalheim in the GDR to ALDI.
Press release from the Funke Media Group:
„The Mülheim-based discount retailer ALDI Süd confirms that it sourced women’s tights from the GDR in the 70s and 80s. This is reported by the WAZ (Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung) in its Wednesday edition.
An ALDI spokesperson explained to the newspaper that there were ‚business relationships‘ with the factory VEB Strumpfkombinat Esda Thalheim. However, ALDI Süd only learned through research by BR (Bavarian Broadcasting) last year that Esda Thalheim also subcontracted production parts to the women’s prison in Hoheneck. […]
ALDI Süd ’strongly condemns‘ the fact that the GDR used prisoners for forced labor in production. According to its own statements, the discounter has not requested access to files at the Federal Commissioner for the Records of the State Security Service of the GDR.“
Women’s prison Castle Hoheneck.
Photo: Andreas Schoelzel
2013
Gabriele Knetsch, in a Bayern 2 Radio broadcast titled „Handelseinig“ (Struck a Deal), quotes the production manager of VEB Esda Werk III, W.D., stating that the packaging of the pantyhose was designed according to the individual wishes of german companies C&A, Neckermann, and ALDI: „The ‚Sayonara‘ packaging was mainly for ALDI-South and Drei-Tannen.“ This corresponds with the statements of the Hoheneck prisoners.
In the same broadcast, a contemporary witness and former „civilian supervisor“ in the prison reports on transports that went directly from the prison to Western customers: „They knew it, they picked it up on site. I drove the trucks in myself. Right up to the loading ramp. I sometimes thought, I’d like to have a car like that.“
Manuscript of the radio broadcast on the BR (Bavarian Broadcasting) website
2012
The ARD (German Public Broadcasting) is releasing the documentary film „Westware aus dem Ostknast“ (West Products from the East Prison) by Anne Worst. It shows original footage of forced labor in Hoheneck for the first time to a wider public. The film is being shown in more than 50 Hessian schools on behalf of the Hessian State Agency for Civic Education.
Info about the documentation on the phoenix website
1989
In December 1989, shortly after the amnesty for most political prisoners, West German broadcaster WDR filmed an initial documentary inside the Hoheneck prison. It showed incarcerated women producing stockings.
