A comparison of the political changes that took place in the German Democratic Republic, in Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary in the years 1989/1990 shows a large amount of mutual influence.The focus of this volume lies on the German Democratic Republic. It looks at the how the transitions began in the four countries, the state of the socialist autocracies at the end of their reign, the specifics of the system changes that took place, the role of the masses and the intelligentsia as well as the particulars during the phase when democracy became established in these countries. The goal of the authors and editors was to present the impulses behind a comparative perspective on the developments in the German Democratic Republic and its neighbours.

Dr. Clemens Vollnhals ist Stellvertretender Direktor des Hannah-Arendt-Instituts für Totalitarismusforschung e.V. und Lehrbeauftragter für Zeitgeschichte an der Technischen Universität Dresden.