How to Teach the German Democratic Republic (GDR) Through the Lens of Social Justice in a Fifth‐Semester German Course

ABSTRACT

Eighteen secondary and postsecondary teachers of German participated in a 3‐week AATG‐sponsored professional development institute in Leipzig in July 2025. This article shares key pedagogical insights and teaching materials developed during the program, with a focus on broadening how the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) is represented in the university L2 German classroom. Drawing on theories of cultural memory, multiliteracies, and task‐based language teaching, this article illustrates how instructors can engage students in collaborative, creative, and L2‐mediated explorations of the GDR's history and culture. Sample modules highlight Leipzig's role in the Peaceful Revolution, DEFA films like Die Legende von Paul und Paula , and the perspectives of contract workers and their descendants. Throughout, special attention is given to multimodal approaches (e.g., archival artifacts, film analysis, and visual source interpretation) as tools to engage students in critical reflection. By reframing the GDR to include a diversity of perspectives and attending to questions of equity and inclusion, the article offers concrete strategies and adaptable classroom materials that make teaching the GDR more representative, reflexive, and resonant.