Talking about Sexual Violence in the GDR: Feminist Strategies of the Weimar Women's Group ( Frauengruppe ) Named Frauenteestube (1983–1990)

Abstract

This article examines how sexual violence was dealt with by the Weimar women's group, based on little-known archives, placing it in the specific context of the 1980s in the GDR. By secretly presenting a report and circulating a questionnaire, these women sought to break a taboo, inform and support victims. They also opened a women-only space to encourage discussion and exchange. These practices of solidarity, production and appropriation of knowledge and skills, outside official institutions, are placed in the context of feminist ideas in the GDR.