Private photo albums in the GDR

Private photo albums form an important part of the biographical memory of people from the former GDR. In addition, these albums also serve as mediators between the private and public spheres. As ego documents and a kind of "retreat into the private sphere", they are contextualized with contemporary events and analyzed for their political content. What specifics can be developed from the examination of private photography with regard to the aspects of the world of work, travel, visits to the West, socialist prestige projects and major propaganda events as well as political caesura and events? Photography itself as a social practice under the conditions of the GDR will also be investigated more closely. Oral history interviews will be used to ask how the albums document and generate family events and how they shape memories of life in the GDR.