Confessing in the GDR. The Psychology of Interrogation under Socialist Rule, 1961-1989

This article provides a historical analysis of the institutional, legal, and psychological foundations of the study of interrogation in the post-Stalinist GDR. Drawing on archival and published documents, the development of the Criminological Section and Forensic Psychology at Humboldt University from the 1960s to the early 1990s is reconstructed. After giving an overview of the institutional context and the main actors in this field, the analysis highlights the relevance of psychological knowledge from the perspective of GDR criminologists. These aspects include the preparation phase, the initial contact with the defendant, the continuous dissection of statements during the interrogation, and the overarching goal of gaining a complete picture of the suspect's personality. It is argued that the defining feature of interrogation practice in the GDR was not so much the technical details as the overarching aim of "educating" the suspect, who was to be persuaded by the interrogator not only to confess to the crime, but also to show remorse and find his way back into socialism.