Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Germany)
This resulted in the establishment of the Commission of Inquiry on Overcoming the Consequences of the SED Dictatorship in the Process of German Unity lasting from 1994to 1998, which had the same objective, but investigated more thoroughly.
Both commissions had to look at the dictatorship itself and the human rights violation under the rule of the East German Socialist Unity Party (SED).
As Sue Lawson writes, "even the lowest earners could manage a reasonable, if modest, standard of living.
On 9 November, cabinet member Günter Schabowski announced the "immediate freedom of travel for East German citizens".
West Germany's priority was economic growth, rather than maternity and childcare, and for that reason people that were unemployed had to resort to welfare benefits.
As a result the Commission of Inquiry for the Assessment of History and Consequences of the SED Dictatorship in Germany was established in 1992 by the German government.
The commission had 27 members, led by the East German parliamentarian and human rights activist Rainer Eppelmann.
Other members included Markus Meckel, Gerd Poppe, Dr. Dorothea Wils, Dirk Hansen, and Dr. Dietman Keller.
Germany established a truth commission as a result of ongoing social tensions and problems affecting the country, in hopes that it would be a solution.
Additionally, many Germans wanted answers about the SED dictatorship and the effects it had on "the possibilities of political and moral rehabilitation of the victims.
It had to examine every aspect of the dictatorship, how it functioned, what was its ideology and theology, what responsibilities it had for human rights violations, and what role it played in the destruction of the environment.
The influences of "international framework conditions" (more precisely, Soviet politics), needed to be investigated, as did the relation between both Germanies.
The commission also needed to include scholarly expertise, public hearings and forums, as well as discussion with citizens.
Rainer Eppelmann stayed on as chairman of the commission, but the number of commissioners increased to 36, who were later divided into 9 groups.
The second commission followed the same mandate as the first, but focused more on aspects of everyday life under the SED dictatorship, such as discrimination against women, education and economic effects.
Discarding the call for this to be done through a dedicated foundation, commissioners suggested that people could learn about their past in schools instead.
They called again for a permanent and independent foundation that would follow up the recommendations, investigate the past, preserve the commission's archives, and provide assistance to the victims of the SED.
[17] The Stiftung zur Aufarbeitung der SED-Diktatur helped creating the law to give reparation to the victims of the SED.
