Das schweigende Klassenzimmer

In 1956, a school class in Stalinstadt (GDR) decides to hold a minute's silence for the victims of the Hungarian uprising after two classmates have seen ‘newsreel’ images of the events there during a trip to West Germany. Both teachers and parents tried to dissuade the solidary pupils from their convictions by imposing ever stricter restrictions.

In the book ‘The Silent Classroom’, Dietrich Garstka recalls the real events in which he himself was involved and brings together memories, interviews and documents that served as the basis for Lars Kraume's screenplay. The plot raises awareness of the events beyond the historical context. Important questions are still raised, such as the political and social constellations in Germany after the Second World War and the experiences that people had within the two different political systems.