Repressive residential care in the GDR: ‘Blackbox Heimerziehung’ visits the Hoheneck Memorial

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The travelling exhibition ‘Blackbox Heimerziehung’ by the Torgau Closed Youth Work Centre Memorial will be on display for the first time at the Hoheneck Memorial in Stollberg from 22 August to 12 September 2026. This mobile memorial provides information on the history of repressive residential care in the GDR and commemorates the approximately 135,000 children and young people who were forced to spend time in special re-education homes between 1949 and 1989.

The presentation of the ‘Blackbox Heimerziehung’ at the Hoheneck Memorial brings together different experiences of repression and injustices perpetrated by the SED. Numerous women were imprisoned in Hoheneck for political reasons. For some of them, imprisonment also meant separation from their children.

“There are known cases in which children were placed in GDR youth welfare homes following their mothers’ imprisonment,” says Manuela Rummel, Head of Education and Public Relations at the Torgau Closed Youth Work Camp Memorial. “The fact that the ‘Blackbox: Institutional Care’ exhibition is now on display at Hoheneck offers a special opportunity to highlight these connections as well.”

“The second and third generations of those affected – the children and grandchildren of the women imprisoned at Hoheneck – are increasingly coming into focus in the process of coming to terms with the past. The exhibition will therefore be accompanied by two events on this topic on 22 August and 12 September. We hope for a lively response and a meaningful exchange,” says Joseph Walthelm, academic director of the Hoheneck Memorial.

The “Blackbox Heimerziehung” exhibition provides information on the history of the repressive GDR children’s home system, displayed both inside and outside a converted shipping container. The focus is on the experiences of former GDR children in care. Since 2022, the exhibition has been on display at 27 venues across Germany and has attracted more than 60,000 visitors.

The exhibition in Stollberg is being held in cooperation with the Hoheneck Memorial gGmbH.

“Day of Encounter” on 12 September 2026 from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm: The Hoheneck Memorial will host its first “Day of Encounter” – a multi-generational gathering where former detainees and their relatives come together. The ‘Blackbox Heimerziehung’ exhibition will also be on display at the event and will be accompanied by a member of staff from the Torgau Closed Youth Work Centre Memorial. In addition, a contemporary witness to the repressive GDR residential care system will be on hand for discussions and exchanges.

‘Blackbox Heimerziehung’, 22 August to 12 September 2026, Hoheneck Memorial (An der Stalburg 6, 09366 Stollberg | Hoheneck) Opening hours: Wednesday to Saturday, 10.00 am to 5.00 pm. Free admission.