This research was the prelude to a far-reaching and still ongoing exploration by Romy Schmidt of the country in which she and many others were born, which abruptly ceased to exist, and of the period of transformation from 1990 to the present.

Das Leben der Anderen–The Others Live attempted to offer a corrective to prevailing narratives about the experiences and identity of people from the former GDR for the art and cultural establishment. In over 100 interviews with East German scholars, art and culture professionals, journalists and experts on the topic, it became apparent that an overall Germany is a distant prospect, revealing countless untold stories and occasions for further investigation. Romy Schmidt studied all events in the performing arts and culture and their authorships within the period around the 30th anniversary of the peaceful revolution, which were open to an audience in the East and sometimes also in the West.

An initial project by Romy Schmidt, supported by the Fonds Darstellende Künste Berlin with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.

This research was the prelude to a far-reaching and still ongoing exploration by Romy Schmidt of the country in which she and many others were born, which abruptly ceased to exist, and of the period of transformation from 1990 to the present.

Das Leben der Anderen–The Others Live attempted to offer a corrective to prevailing narratives about the experiences and identity of people from the former GDR for the art and cultural establishment. In over 100 interviews with East German scholars, art and culture professionals, journalists and experts on the topic, it became apparent that an overall Germany is a distant prospect, revealing countless untold stories and occasions for further investigation. Romy Schmidt studied all events in the performing arts and culture and their authorships within the period around the 30th anniversary of the peaceful revolution, which were open to an audience in the East and sometimes also in the West.