Bro

Stasi prison August 17, 1985

Two smoked boneless pork tenderloins.

Two loafs Pumpernickel rye bred.

Vacuum sealed cheese.

Five chocolate bars.

Five bags with cookies.

Just two apples, produce weighs too much.

I split one tenderloin with the comrades.

Whoever gets visitors shares the one most valuable item from the care package with the group.

This is one of the many advantages to be in a political prisoners-only prison: immense solidarity.

Smoked boneless pork tenderloins were very rare in the GDR. You could only get such fine meat through the butcher's backdoor. My parents managed to get me such great food in my care packages once a month. A welcome break from the rotten prison food.

Matthias hasn’t had visitors in months.

His parents died when he was young.

His grandma suffers arthritis.

When he called a friend in Munich to arrange to be smuggled across the border as a family: the Stasi was already waiting.

His wife got arrested that same day and has spent the same length, 22 months in prison, Hoheneck of all places: HELL.

Their 6 year old son seems to be in a state run protectory but they only heard rumors, no contact.

Matthias is quiet and often cries at night.

Nobody talks about it but we all suffer with him.

“You are now my ‘bro’ Matthias, here is half of my stuff."

*Testimony -> Start. This blog entry is part of a linear narrated testimony of the contemporary witness Jens Thieme who was imprisoned 1985-1986 as a political prisoner in various GDR prisons by the GDR Ministry of State Security. Stasi prison, Stasi jail, Stasi detention.