Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e. V.
Why this remembrance matters
A culture of remembrance lives through faces. Names like Herbert Belter make history tangible and show that freedom and democracy have never been self-evident. By remembering those who risked their lives in the GDR for free elections and human rights, we strengthen our awareness of how fragile democracy is—and how important it is to protect it.
Herbert Belter – Courage in the Second German Dictatorship
Herbert Belter, often referred to as the “East German Hans Scholl,” was a student of economics in Leipzig. After a non-violent leaflet campaign for free, democratic elections, he was arrested in 1950 and executed in Moscow on April 28, 1951.
From October 5, 2025—the day the leaflet campaign took place 75 years earlier—until April 28, 2026, the Political Education Forums of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation will host events on the resistance in the Second German Dictatorship and honor its victims.
Belter’s fate reminds us that resistance against the communist dictatorship is just as much a part of our history as resistance against National Socialism. His courage stands for the commitment of all those who risked their lives for freedom and democracy in the GDR.
Our mission
The political education work of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation is dedicated to this remembrance:
- Questions about the past: Why did it take so long to acknowledge the injustices of the Second Dictatorship?
- Looking to the future: How can we protect democracy today from polarization and populism?
- Shared responsibility: A culture of remembrance is a foundation of our coexistence.
Through events, discussions, and educational programs, we keep alive the memory of people like Herbert Belter—and thus strengthen the foundations for a democratic future.
