Athletes who were victims of doping by the East German state have “no appropriate means of support, although those affected still need immediate assistance,” a The new report said on Wednesday.
The findings were presented by Evelyn Zuppke, the German government commissioner for victims of the socialist dictatorship, at the Hohenschönhausen Memorial, the former detention center of the Stasi, East Germany’s secret police.
According to the report, forced doping is a “gross abuse of political power” that has reduced athletes to “mere objects of state action, leading to serious violations of their human dignity.”
Zupke called for changes to the existing law to ensure that victims receive adequate support.
In a separate report in January, Zuppke said she was “convinced that addressing the consequences of state-sponsored doping in the GDR is not just a matter for those affected and historians.”
“This is equally important for Germany’s self-image as an enthusiastic and successful sporting nation,” he said, pointing to Germany’s bid to host the Olympic Games in the next decades.
Why did East Germany dope its athletes?
Socialist East Germany began an extensive state-sponsored doping program in 1974.
The goal was to help the GDR earn more medals in international competitions, which could be celebrated as proof of the state’s power.
By 1989, an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 youths were systematically given performance-enhancing substances – primarily anabolic steroids – often without their knowledge or consent. Some were as young as 13 years of age.
Doping helped turn East Germany into a sporting superpower, with the country winning the second-most medals at both the 1976 and 1980 Olympic Games.
After German reunification in 1990, the full scale of the doping program came to light, casting a shadow over East Germany’s sporting achievements.
‘The shadow of dictatorship is long’
Beyond doping, Zupke’s report gave a positive assessment of laws adopted in early 2025 offering compensation to victims of the East German regime.
“Our reunified country is on the right track to provide the best possible support and recognition to the victims of the SED dictatorship,” Zuppke said, referring to the ruling Socialist Unity Party.
“But the shadow of the dictatorship is long: many victims suffer health consequences.”
Edited by: Zack Crellin
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