Christoph Wilde: Hello Harald. Once again, a rare colour photo of yours, which I took from the database.
© Harald Hauswald/OSTKREUZ
On it we see an NPD ("National Democratic Party of Germany") demonstration against the reopening of the German Armed Forces Exhibition in Berlin. Were there counter-demonstrations?
Harald Hauswald: There are always counter-demonstrations, but I did not see anything.
CW: Was there right-wing extremism in the GDR?
HH: Of course, there were 'Balds' and it was widespread among 'Normalos' and there were also such phenomena in the football scene. But all that always occurred in secrecy and the press never wrote about it, with one exception - the attack on the Zionskirche (Zion's Church) and the trials following it. The case had too much publicity in West Germany, it had to be reported.
CW: How did the government deal with right-wing extremism?
HH: It didn't.
CW: Thank you, Harald.
