Overview

• On July 2, Kilian Kerner presented an 1980s DDR–inspired collection at the Uber-Arena during Berlin Fashion Week to spotlight forced adoptions and alleged infant deaths in the former East Germany.
• The runway show featured grey denim, glimmering fabrics and protest placards reading “Wo sind unsere Kinder?” to evoke the era when most cases occurred.
• DDR authorities systematically declared an estimated 15,000 healthy infants dead and orchestrated 10,000 forced adoptions from the late 1950s onward.
• So far only five alleged infant death cases and 20 to 40 forced adoptions have been clarified, underscoring the need for further investigation.
• Kerner is urging the Interior Ministry and federal information office to establish a DNA bank, open adoption records to parents and gather eyewitness testimonies ahead of a 2026 federal study report.