Escape from the GDR, 1961-1989: Hybrid exit repertoires in a disintegrating leninist regime

Leading theorists contend that "exit" and its many manifestations do not fi t the "contentious collective action" model. This article argues, however, that exit is frequently the only collective action available to average peo ple in authoritarian regimes. In such regimes, collective exit may take a v ariety of forms, hybridized here from the elements of traditional and moder n repertoires under varying conditions of opportunity and framing. Descript ions of hybrid exit episodes from the German Democratic Republic, 1961-89, are based on annual reports by Amnesty International, on secondary sources before 1989, and, primarily, on accounts from six international presses for 1989.