Since it was founded in the 18th century, the Moravian Brethren has played an important role within Protestantism with its civil society commitment and international connections. How did the socialist authorities of the GDR deal with this pietistic community? How did the Moravians manage to survive under socialism? How far did they adapt and how far were beliefs and self-understanding modified? Hedwig Richter raises general problems of the relationship between rule and society in the dictatorship as well as transfer history questions about the possibilities of an international exchange beyond the Iron Curtain.