Cooperative founded – Future of the Peter-Sodann-Library now assured

ef. On 17 November 2018 the founding meeting of the cooperative “Peter-Sodann-Library eG – against transgression” was held in Staucha, Saxony.
    By this founding Peter Sodann, whom many vividly recall as “Tatort”-Inspector [famous detective series in German TV], has provided a framework for his collection of GDR literature 1945–1990, to preserve his life’s work for future generations. When in 1989 books from the GDR were to be disposed of by trucks, he was outraged: “You throw away your history”– and called for the books not to be destroyed, but to be stored. Many have responded to this call to this day (c.f. Current Concerns No 14 from 2 June 2015). In the meantime, more than 2.5 million books have been collected.
    At the up-coming Leipzig Book Fair from 21 to 24 March 2019, Peter Sodann and the chairman of the cooperative’s supervisory board, Dietmar Berger, will present the cooperative together with “Zeit-Fragen” on the topic “Peter-Sodann-Library – GDR Literature from 1945 to 1990”.
With respect to the founding of the cooperative the following press release appeared:
On 17 November 2018, 46 interested and willing people met in Staucha at the place of the Peter-Sodann-Library and founded the “Peter-Sodann-Library eG* – against transgression”.
The concern and goal of this unique cooperative is that the literature, which was published after World War II in East Germany, be collected, secured and be made available to the following generations. With their membership and without nostalgia, the members of the cooperative want to be given back its dignity for the literature of the GDR, which was taken to rubbish tips or incinerated in power station furnaces in 1990.
In addition to this, the cooperative wants that the lifework of “Peter Sodann” and his wife be continued; Peter Sodann was almost the only one in the former GDR to recognise the incipient outrage at everything that was printed in the GDR as one of the most culturless acts in unified Germany and to defend himself against it with his initiative.