COURAGE

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The predecessor of the KGB of the Estonian SSR, then called the People’s Commissariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD) of the Estonian SSR, was founded in 1940 after the occupation and annexation of Estonia by the Soviet Union. In 1941–1953, it acted as the ESSR Security Service under the USSR People's Commissariat for State Security (NKGB) and the Ministry of State Security (MGB). In 1954, the State Security Committee of the Estonian SSR was established, and worked under the Council of Ministers of the Estonian SSR. The KGB was closed down in Estonia after 1991, but the process was slow, enabling an extensive part of its documentation to be moved out of Estonia. 

The Berlin Song Theatre group “Karls Enkel” existed with different line-ups from 1976 to 1986. Even though they received many awards, they remained critical of the existing conditions. The officials also couldn’t decide on a common attitude towards “Karls Enkel”. While in some parts their performances were seen as a provocation, the group was seen as an artistic symbol of hope in other places. Its most prominent members were Hans-Eckart Wenzel and Stefen Mensching who also performed as clown duo and were extremely successful with their program “Letztes aus der DaDaEr” in the mid-1980s. Both worked as solo-artist after 1990.
The Archive contains programmes, video-recordings, and pictures of performances of “Karls Enkel” as well as interviews with members of the group.

The Keston Institute was initially founded as the Center for the Study of Religion and Communism with a mission to disseminate informed information on the conditions of religious liberty in communist countries. After being renamed the Keston Institute in 1971, the organization’s operation included the acquisition and maintenance of an archive.