Fashion with a message: forced adoptions in the GDR in the spotlight!

Fashion with a message: forced adoptions in the GDR in the spotlight!

At this year's Berlin Fashion Week, Berlin designer Kilian Kerner caused a stir with his new collection, which deals with a dark chapter in German history: the forced adoptions in the GDR. The show took place at the Uber Arena and was not only a feast for the eyes, but also thought-provoking. The models' extravagant outfits, inspired by the 80s look, were accompanied by a spooky watchtower and monitors that read "Attention, you are now leaving West Berlin." Kerner wanted to combine both glamor and horror in his designs, as Radio Köln reports.

In this collection, which explores the height of forced adoption, models wore eye-catching hoodies with slogans like "Where are our children?" and held up handwritten posters. Particularly exciting was the image of a male model presenting a baby doll in a rough gray suit. This image is intended to visually illustrate the injustices associated with the adoptions. Kerner himself was sensitized by a documentary about child welfare and adoptions in the GDR and wanted to use his work to draw public attention to this issue.

Political dimension of forced adoptions

The forced adoptions in the GDR are an example of state repression. Estimates put the number at around 10,000 cases. A key aspect of these practices was the pressure that many parents experienced. The youth welfare office could make decisions without the consent of the birth parents, as is clear from the example of Sabine Zapf, who ended up in a children's home after she was unable to bear the third child as a single mother. Deutschlandfunk Kultur reports on her painful loss as her biological father fought for her return but failed.

The mothers affected by forced adoptions were under immense pressure. Viola Greiner-Willibald reports that many women did not dare to oppose the state's deprivation of their children for fear of repression. The GDR family code showed no mercy and demanded that children be raised to become “socialist personalities”. “Der Spiegel” reported on this failed policy as early as 1975, which has subsequently not been adequately addressed to this day.

Focus on processing

The processing of this story is not yet complete. In 2019, the Bundestag called for adoption files to no longer be destroyed, and steps were taken to set up a “central information and placement office”. The final results and concrete measures are still unclear, as a study by the Federal Ministry of the Interior is not due to be completed until the beginning of 2026, as Zwangsadoptierte Kinder emphasizes. Kerner himself calls for not only a DNA database to be set up, but also access to important adoption files for affected parents.

At the end of the fashion show, the question remained as to how many affected parents and children are still waiting for clarification and justice. The people who were robbed of their identity and their children through forced adoption deserve this reckoning. Kilian Kerner hopes to get another ball rolling with his collection and to solve at least ten new cases within a year. The story of forced adoptions in the GDR is ultimately a story of loss and the tireless pursuit of justice.