Lesson Plan: Escaping East Germany
Grades 9-12
During the Cold War, the government of East Germany built a large system to monitor its citizens and maintain control. A key part of this system was the Stasi, a state security agency that collected information, watched people’s activities and responded to those seen as a threat to the government. Peter Keup describes growing up in East Germany after the Berlin Wall was built in 1961, separating East and West. As a teenager, he tried to leave the country by traveling through Eastern Europe but was arrested, questioned and sentenced to prison for attempting to flee. He recalls his experience as a political prisoner, including being required to do forced labor.
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