United Left (East Germany)

The United Left (VL ) was a political grouping in the final phase of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). You saw himself not as a party, but as a " grassroots movement " ( according to the constitution of January 1990), but also occurred at about elections.

The VL was founded as an association of various opposition Left ( including Christian socialists, Trotskyists, Autonomous and supporters of the Yugoslav self-management model ) and critical SED members. This was based on the later as " Böhlener platform " well-known appeal "For a United Left in the GDR" September 4, 1989. Based on this text, the VL formally constituted on October 2, 1989, a few weeks before the Wall fell, some of the leading members came from the group votes against, others from the church from below. The United Left called for the renewal of socialism, trying to create a democratic and free DDR. The end of 1989 included the organization claims to 1,500 members with a focus on Berlin and Halle. In politics they played due to intra- organizational disputes and organizational problems rather an outsider and was different than other opposition groups having recourse only to a minimal material support from the West, for example, by the VSP, Communist League and some autonomous groups.

The VL participated in accordance with Statement of 29 January 1990, a minister without portfolio in the government of national responsibility. After Hans Modrow's statement " Germany, united fatherland " she pulled on 2 February 1990 in protest back and sat next to a peculiar state GDR.

1990 VL went along with the party Carnations for the People's Chamber elections on 18 March 1990 a list of association under the name " Action Alliance United Left " (AVL), which received 0.18% of votes and a seat occupied by Thomas Klein. Thomas Klein represented the VL also from October to December 1990 at the Bundestag. After the parliamentary election of December 1990 until her retirement in 1992 due to a former MfS activities, the VL- member Jutta Braband had ( selected via the PDS state list Brandenburg) held a seat in parliament. After 1990, several members of the VL were as Marion Seelig chosen to open lists of the PDS or as Hans Schwenke for Alliance 90/The Greens in different diets. The VL itself ceased to exist largely in the years after 1990.

Your formal self-dissolution as a whole organization took place on October 19, 2013 in Berlin. The continued existence of individual regional VL groups remained unaffected.