Historians at the Zentrum fnr Zeithistorische Forschung transcend condemnation and apology for the East German government in order to explore the contradiction of using dictatorial means to achieve emancipatory aims, consider both its repressive and welfare features, and discuss the mix of dynamism and stagnation that typified it. In 19 essays from a conference in Potsdam in December 1997, they cover the theoretical problem of dictatorship, mechanisms of political repression, means of social control, cultural dimensions of domination, and temporal transformations. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)