Michael Körner
What did you study?
I studied law and trained as an alternative practitioner.
How did you get into your job?
There was this job posting…
What were the last three things you did at work?
- Face-to-face counseling of a former political prisoner on questions of redress/compensation for injustices suffered. This is about the assessment of the credibility of former GDR criminal files and the extortion of confessions in pre-trial detention by the State Security.
- Development of an opinion in a criminal rehabilitation procedure before the regional court. The proceedings concern a former GDR child, whose mother was sentenced to a long prison term for political reasons and whose health did not recover from it even after her release. The victim therefore had to spend most of his childhood in a children's home.
- Development of an opinion on a specialist medical report in the pension proceedings of a former political prisoner before the State Office for Social Affairs and Welfare. This procedure deals with the difficulty of correctly assessing the psychological consequences of experiences in prison in the GDR.
Who do you advise?
Everyone who wants to know something from me. As a rule, I advise on rehabilitation issues, on the Stasi files or on review procedures for Stasi participation. The processing of one's own life story or the fate of relatives is also becoming increasingly important
Do you know everything about these issues?
No, but I am slowly getting there.
What methods do you use in counseling?
I have no idea whether my consulting style can be given a name. It's probably more freestyle. It always depends on who is sitting across from you. If someone carries around a severe post-traumatic stress disorder from their imprisonment, this also means heightened sensitivity for counseling.
How much organization is needed for a consultation?
Not much before an initial consultation. You just have to find an appointment together. And have paper and pen ready. Most of them are also happy about a glass of water.
What kind of goal would you like to achieve with a consultation?
That the other person understands what I want to explain to her/him (which is not always easy with the complex restitution laws) and that s/he manages to take disappointing messages for her-/himself.
How does a consultation work?
The doorbell rings, I open the door and escort the person wishing to be advised to my office. Next, I try to create a trusting atmosphere with a friendly, open tone. Then, I ask my interlocutor to formulate her/his request. Finally, I advise.
What challenges do you face in your job?
I have very high standards, both in terms of my counseling work and the writing of briefs. It is a new challenge for me every day to live up to this claim.