Evelyn Zupke highlights progress in German reunification

Evelyn Zupke, the Bundestag Commissioner for SED Victims, has identified progress in the process of German reunification through the treatment of victims of the former East German dictatorship. Zupke emphasized that reunification is an ongoing process rather than a fixed finish line, noting that diverse life experiences and family histories enrich the nation.

A significant development is the nationwide hardship fund, which has been available since 2025 to support rehabilitated victims of the SED dictatorship who are facing economic hardship. This fund now includes individuals living in western German states, which Zupke describes as a manifestation of lived reunification. Since November 9, 2025, approximately one million euros has been distributed to around 300 affected individuals.

Currently, about 37,000 people receive the so-called victim pension, available to those who were politically imprisoned in the GDR for more than 90 days. Between 1945 and 1989, there were an estimated 250,000 political prisoners, alongside other victim groups such as those forcibly displaced or subjected to systematic psychological decomposition by state institutions.