Gysi and Diestel. Two lawyers, two trained cattle breeders. Two from the East who went to the West. Two from politics. One left, the other conservative: Gysi was the last SED chairman and protagonist of the Left Party, Diestel was the last interior minister of the GDR, then a CDU representative in Brandenburg, later independent.<\/p>\n
In conversation with moderator Andrea Jung, they unfold recent German history, which is closely linked to their own, and look at the united Germany - both critically and optimistically. In doing so, they relive that wild phase after 1989, when the unexpected became reality: Much changed, but contradictions remain.<\/p>\n
Peter Michael Diestel, born in 1952, holds a doctorate in law, was GDR Minister of the Interior and Deputy Prime Minister in 1990, was a member of parliament and opposition leader in the Brandenburg State Parliament from 1990 to 1992 and has run a law firm since 1993. His new book follows on from his two successful books "From the life of a good-for-nothing?" (2010) and "I was happy in the GDR. Nevertheless, I'm fighting for unity" (2019).<\/p>\n
Gregor Gysi, born in 1948, lawyer and politician. Son of the GDR Minister of Culture Klaus Gysi and nephew of the Nobel Prize winner for literature Doris Lessing. Joined the SED in 1967. As a lawyer, he represented Robert Havemann, Rudolf Bahro and other critics of the regime. 1989\u20131993 party chairman of the PDS. 1990\u20132002 and 2005\u20132016 member of the Bundestag and parliamentary group leader of the PDS and the Left Party. From 2016-2019 President of the European Left. 2020-2023 foreign policy spokesman for the Left Party. Numerous publications.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"