COURAGE

connecting collections

The Großhennersdorf environmental library holds one of the largest stocks of GDR Samizdat magazines. Among them is the "Lausitzbotin" (Lausatian Courier), also produced with the support of the then environmental library. It appeared from 1988 to 1989 and contained three issues. Its name was inspired by a newspaper banned by the National Socialists in the 1930s.

The Jena Leseladen (lit: reading shop) inspired by the East Berlin Environmental Library, opened in 1988. It was supported by a group of friends active in the City Youth Parish (JG). This group was committed to planning for the future and saved incriminating and controversial writings so as to disseminate them amongst a broader audience. These writings were mostly from those authors who had been forced to emigrate from the GDR, particularly those belonging to the Jena Society for Peace. The Jena Leseladen was also able to spread West German literature by clandestine means. The Leseladen became an important communication center for opposition groups in Jena.

"Rewolta" was an anarchist magazine published in Warsaw by Piotr Rymarczyk and Piotr Salwowski (initially also by Adam Ryć) since 1989. Paper was associated with the Alternative Society Movement and Anarchist Intercity organization (Międzymiastówka Anarchistyczna), however it was substantially different from the Tricity’s RSA. Besides addressing the issues of anarchist, anarcho-syndicalist, and anti-war nature, it also discussed women’s rights, homosexuality, animal rights or vegetarianism – the problems which were not obvious part of freedom discourse for the elder activists of anarchistic movement.

The 3^rd issue of “Rewolta” from December 1989 is distinguished by an attractive cover with the portrait of Piotr Kropotkin. Inside one can find texts about e.g. anarchism in USSR, Black Cross activities, having sex in prison, critiques of parliamentary democracy and a biography of Edward Abramowski. Broad thematic scope, brilliance and brave style of “Rewolta’s” authors made this magazine one of the most interesting anarchistic publications of the time of transformation.

Commonpress was a Mail Art magazine founded by the Polish artist Pawel Petasz. Each issue was compiled by another mail artist who circulated a call in the network specifying a theme for the coming issue. The topic “Hungary” was inspired by the imaginary “Italian boots” of the Italian poet Adriano Spatola’s “Italy issue.” Galántai organized an exhibition out of the incoming material in the Young Artists’ Club in 1984. However, the show was immediately banned, as the authorities considered it an expression of opposition to the regime. At the vernissage, Radio Artpool’s 6^th program, Hungary, was “broadcasted.” As a result of the exhibition, Galántai suffered intensified reprisals; the secret service started openly observing and restricting his activities. They confiscated the next issue of AL (Artpool Letter), a samizdat art periodical edited by Galántai, and took other measures. The exhibition could only be held again on the eve of the regime change (Young Artists’ Club, 1989), and it included a roundtable discussion involving the banned artists and the individuals/officials who banned the exhibition. The catalog of the exhibition (Commonpress No. 51) could be published in wider circulation at the time. When the secret documents became available for research, Artpool received the report about the opening of the exhibition. Using this secret report, Galántai reconstructed the original exhibition a couple of times (Artpool P60, 2000; Centrális Galéria, 2002; Area 51, Kapolcs, 2018).