The Bremen-based "Mod-Block-DDR" project team had organized the panel discussion together with the Leipzig Forum of Contemporary History and MDR. The panel included Christa Luft (former GDR Minister of Economics), Johannes Ludewig (former Federal Chancellery coordinator for "New Länder"), Udo Ludwig (former advisor to the federal government and IWH Halle) and Rudolf Hickel (former University of Bremen and advisor to the trade unions in East Germany).