European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 18, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunday March 18,1990 the stars and stripes a a Page 3�?~wild�?T press keeps e. Germans informed by Joseph Owen staff writer scrawling Graffiti is one Way to convey a message and a Leipzig denunciation of capitalism catches the Eye of a passer by. Leipzig East Germany a voters in East Germany a first free election wont be uninformed when they go to the polls today. The governments abolition of Media censorship last fall has ignited an explosion of newspapers magazines and broadcast news programs. Crowds in Leipzig a downtown Magazine shops Are so tight that people stand in line outside. Some stores carry As Many As three dozen different German Lan Guage newspapers. Those jostling for attention include several West German dailies new East German papers founded by Many of the political parties new Independent papers and old local papers that have become More aggressive after four decades of being gagged by the communists. New magazines probe everything from How the former government abused psychiatry to whether the Elbe River has become a East Germany a a at the moment we re experiencing a wild West press a said film director writer Konrad Weiss. Weiss said he fears marketing pressure from West German Media firms May overwhelm would be East German publishers and drive state subsidized papers out of business. Johannes Gross West German finance Magazine capitals publisher predicted that party affiliated newspapers wont last Long. Because their purpose is to promote the parties a they will strip themselves of All their believability and wont find an audience any longer a he said. At least for now East germans seem to have an even better press selection than their cousins in the West and the variety is Likely to increase before it shrinks. For decades West German television and radio were the Only regular sources of uncensored news for most East germans. Communities far away from the Border or in areas unable to receive the broadcasting signals had no sources. One City Dresden was referred to As a the Valley of those who done to have a but now residents of Dresden can tune in to East German broadcasts that have undergone momentous changes. National to news shows like a actual camera that until Only last year alienated viewers by doting on former Leader Erich Honecker now feature Lively political debate and comprehensive reporting. Television Moderator Christiane Dahn addressing a Leipzig forum on press Freedom Friday admitted she and her colleagues will have a hard time earning the Trust of a Public from whom they withheld the truth for so Long. But she credited the Media with aiding East Germany a 1989 revolution by slipping information in a Between the lines during earlier years and More direct reporting before the Borders opened nov. 9. A these Media changes did no to just come out of nowhere. They were in preparation before a Dahn said. A i think Many people became More Weiss said the new government to be elected sunday still will have to continue to improve the state run Media. A the electronic Media need to be overhauled a Weiss said. A i find their condition is unsatisfactory. Because the same old people arc still sitting in the managers he said journalists should be allowed to keep their jobs. But both he and Dahn said they face an enormous task in dissolving the Specter of self censorship. A a it a a Long process a he said a until the scissors disappear from your head until you really have Learned to say what you want to regardless of anybody or anything. And you can to dispense with this process in four weeks or four months. It will take communists have new face old image Gregor Gysi by de Reavis staff writer Berlin a the communist party has discarded its old name and old leaders As democracy replaces dictatorship in East Germany. The party has thrown away the much cursed name of socialist Union party for Germany and christened itself the party for democratic socialism. Names aside opinions about the party remain unchanged. A a in a vote for any party but the ads. For me its still the same old communist party a said a Man in the Alexan de Platz subway station. A the ads has the same old thieves a and liars we had before a a woman piped in. Yet there was optimism in the party As sundays election approached. A we expect to get More than 15 percent of the vote and to be a Strong political Factor in the opposition in the new parliament a said Klaus Haschke a party spokesman. He acknowledged that people have a right to be angry about the party. A there Are a lot of crimes that have to be paid for a he said. A but we who remained in the party believe Germany needs a Strong left if it Isnit to Drift to the far the ads membership plunged from More than 2 million to 700,000 after last Falls revolution Haschke said. Those who remained a have to be Brave a he said. A in Leipzig they beat several members last week who Are still in the the party a Campaign theme of a vote for social Security has provoked accusations that the party fuels Peoples fears that reunification May mean mass unemployment skyrocketing rents and worthless pensions. Denying that his party has preyed on these fears Haschke said a when our party Leader Gregor Gysi travels about the country he talks about these fears and the people listen. They also like our slogan a take it easy take a Haschke said the party was surprised that Gysi did no to encounter More problems with the crowds. A Gysi is a Low key witty Man a Haschke said. A they enjoy his humor. I believe the people opposed to us chose to ignore contributing to this report the associated Pross in Leipzig East Germany e. German schools close the propaganda books by de Reavis staff writer Berlin a East German students Are learning new lessons about the United mates. The country that once had been la from East a. As a highly technological Imperi ally i e. Suddenly turned into a p Ace Lomg trusted Power said the director of an East Berlin High school. A of course we knew nothing about the United states except that it invaded Vietnam and discriminated against Blacks a said Christiana Zirbel director of the or. Kurt Fischer High school in the Prenzlauer Berg Section of East Berlin. A that was the official party line and few dared to contradict now that the party line has been erased by revolution rapid change is sweeping Over the schools of East Germany. A the school system like everything else in the country is in a turmoil a Zirbel said. A we have a Bunch of books ideas and some people in the schools and Educa Tion ministry who need to be thrown out of these books and people were part of a school curriculum that was fraught with communist ideology said Veronika Hei halt the schools assistant director. Students immersed themselves in studies of marxism leninism while keeping their books closed on the subject of nazi Germany. A we were just told we were an anti fascist communist state and ignored the other victims of the third Reich a christians jews gypsies a Zirbel said. Now that the communist Clamp on education has been broken teachers in East Germany have developed plans for a new curriculum and have submitted them to the education ministry. They re also discussing with their students previously taboo subjects such As aids homosexuality a and above All citizens rights a she said. Still schools need More than a new curriculum to function properly said teacher Monika Grunder. Many schools Are in disrepair and their technical instruction aids Are either non existent or antique Grunder said. A a we be been rather isolated even from other communist countries the last few years a Zirbel said. A move to break out of the isolation was made March 9, when a class from Zirbel a school visited the american High school in Berlin. A when we got the request from the americans it was a great Surprise and we jumped at the
