Introduction

The politburo members to address the national question out of personal interest were Hermann Axen and Albert Norden, both of whom attempted to prove the existence of a separate nation in the GDR. The rest of the politburo appear to have been more interested in the practicalities of the socialist economic and social system in the GDR and paid little attention either to theories about nationhood in general, or to the state of the German nation in particular. From its establishment in 1949 until its demise in 1990, the GDR was regarded as temporary and artificial. Policy regarding the nation provides a good example of the complex relationship between the party and scholarship in the GDR. All publications in the GDR were strictly controlled by the party and self-censorship was the only way to ensure publication. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.