FDP Deputy Leader Linda Teuteberg Tapped as Brandenburg’s SED Dictatorship Reckoning Commissioner

Linda Teuteberg, a senior Free Democrat who grew up in Brandenburg, could become the state’s next commissioner for examining the legacy of East Germany’s communist dictatorship. The current officeholder, former civil rights activist Maria Nooke, plans to leave the post and has recommended Teuteberg as her successor.

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Linda Teuteberg has always taken a very clear position on the injustices of the SED dictatorship and confronting the history of East Germany. She is very well connected in politics and society, and she also enjoys great recognition among victims’ organizations.

Teuteberg said she was prepared to take on the role if the Brandenburg state parliament wanted her to do so. She is expected to introduce herself formally to the parliamentary groups before a possible vote in October. State Parliament President Ulrike Liedtke said the governing SPD and CDU factions had already signaled their support for the procedure.

Nooke praised Teuteberg’s clear position on the injustices of the Socialist Unity Party dictatorship and the process of confronting East Germany’s past. She also pointed to Teuteberg’s strong political and social network and her recognition among victims’ organizations. Nooke has held the office since 2017 and was confirmed for another term in 2023, which would have run until 2029.

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If the Brandenburg state parliament wants me to, I am prepared to take on this task, because confronting the SED dictatorship is highly important for valuing freedom, the rule of law and democracy in the present and future.

Teuteberg said confronting the SED dictatorship remained important for valuing freedom, the rule of law and democracy in the present and future. She identified one goal in particular: “The understanding of the fundamental difference between a democratic constitutional state and a totalitarian dictatorship must continue to be sharpened and conveyed.”

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The understanding of the fundamental difference between a democratic constitutional state and a totalitarian dictatorship must continue to be sharpened and conveyed.

The appointment would mark a break with the backgrounds of previous officeholders Ulrike Poppe and Nooke. Teuteberg would be the first commissioner for this work who was not active in East Germany’s civil rights movement. The 45-year-old lawyer served in the Brandenburg state parliament from 2009 to 2014 and in the Bundestag from 2017 to 2025. She also served as FDP general secretary in 2019 and 2020, is deputy chair of Gegen Vergessen, Für Demokratie, and has led the Friends’ Circle of the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial since 2025.

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One thing is an honorary position, another is a main professional position.