The GDR had a diverse cabaret scene, which was supported by the state since the early 1950s. Although the cabarets were subject to numerous restrictions and censorship interventions, they were among the few places where public criticism of existing conditions could be expressed and experienced. Christopher Dietrich's extensive study sheds light for the first time on the entire spectrum of politically satirical cabaret in the GDR. It includes the twelve professional ensembles from the Berlin "Distel" to the "Lachkartenstanzer" from Karl-Marx-Stadt, numerous amateur groups, and freelance soloists like O. F. Weidling and Hansgeorg Stengel. Also taken into account are church lay cabarets and subcultural groups that sometimes performed under conspiratorial conditions. Instead of a fixed system of political cabaret art, a dynamic and diverse picture emerges.