States and organisation dismiss criticism at their peril

KatJa Hoyer’s Beyond the Wall is a masterclass in explaining East Germany from 1949 to 1990.

Hoyer was born in Guben in East Germany, her mother was a teacher and her father an officer in the NVA - East German Army.

She is a columnist for the Washington Post and hosts with Oliver Moody the podcast The New Germany.

The book gives a great insight into many aspects of life in the GDR about we in the west were never aware.

One of Hoyer’s major observations is that if any state or organisation, any grouping does not listen to criticism it is doomed.