ENGAGE WITH US
Our work at the IF DDR is strengthened through collaborations with organisations and individuals around the world. We are always eager to engage with new audiences and learn from different perspectives. At the same time, we are also on the lookout for contributions and practical assistance in our work.
Get in touch with us at: kontakt@ifddr.org
PUBLIC DEBATE
We welcome the opportunity to visit your space or group either online or in real life to discuss the achievements, realities, and problems of socialism in the German Democratic Republic. In the past, we have lectured on topics such as health care, land reform & agricultural cooperatives, women in socialism, and internationalism. More broadly, we have also discussed the work published on our “Friendship!” research platform, which examines the relations and strategies between the socialist states and national liberation movements of the 20th century.
For a deeper investigation into the workings and contradictions of “actually existing socialism”, we also offer workshops and seminars. We have previously held seminars on questions around socialist democracy, planned economy, and anti-imperialist strategies. We are also open to suggestions or requests on different topics.
We previously were invited by, or facilitated learning sessions with:
- Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST), Brazil
- Conference “100 Years of the Hamburg Uprising”, Hamburg
- The People’s Forum, New York
- Credigion Socialist Film Club, Wales
- COMAC, Belgium
- German-Chinese Friendship Association, Ludwigsfelde
- Seniorenclub, Berlin
- BreakThrough News, USA
- Marx Memorial Library, London
- Podcast “Reimagining Soviet Georgia”, Georgia
- MASCH Bremen e.V., Germany
- OttolinaTV, Italy
- Center for Development Research, University of Bonn, Germany
INTERNSHIP
Are you interested in researching the socialist history of the last century? Would you like to help create practical educational materials alongside your academic studies?
Since 2023, interns have joined our team for several weeks to conduct archival research, write articles, assist in interviews, and more. If you are currently studying at university and would like to intern with at the IF DDR, send us an e‑mail and let us know what you are interested in.
VOLUNTEER
If you would like to contribute in a more flexible manner, we are also always on the lookout for volunteers. As an internationally oriented research centre, we are constantly translating texts and subtitling video content to make it accessible to a wide audience. Other useful skills include video editing and social media.
If you have specific ideas on topics, contacts to interesting contemporary witnesses, or if you’d like to share relevant archival materials with us we would also be more than happy to hear from you.
CONTEMPORARY WITNESSES
If you are a contemporary witness yourself, who experienced and shaped socialist society, and would like to share your insights get in touch with us via our contact form here.