Life in East Germany | Animated History

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After World War II, the Soviet Union transformed their occupied zone in Germany into the German Democratic Republic. One of the many communist states in the Eastern Bloc, East Germany developed a unique culture that defined itself in opposition to the West. In this video, we explore what life was like for the people of East Germany under communist rule.

Sources:
Kopstein, Jeffrey. "Chipping Away at the State: Workers' Resistance and the Demise of East Germany." World Politics 48, no. 3 (1996): 391-423.

Hodgin, Nick, and Caroline Pearce, eds. The GDR Remembered: Representations of the East German State since 1989. Rochester, New York: Boydell & Brewer, 2011.

Vilasi, Antonella Colonna (9 March 2015). The History of the Stasi. AuthorHouse

Music:
Armchair Historian Theme by Zach Heyde
Byror by Hampus Naeselius
Call of Duty World at War Heart of the Reich
Covert Affairs by Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen
Sentlent by Gavin Luke
Covert Affairs by Christoffer Moe Ditlevsen
Deyja by Hampus Naesellus

[TheArmchairHistorian]

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[arkansasvinny]

As an American soldier in 1984, I remember standing on a rise looking over the wall at two East German guards on the other side. One with binoculars and the other with a notepad as they were gathering names and patch info. from our uniforms. the road beside us ran straight through the west German neighborhood, ended at the wall, then continued on the other side into the east German neighborhood. Couldn't help thinking, , just because you lived two houses down, you were doomed when the wall went up!! I threw a pack of Marlboro Reds in a box across the wall and it landed at their feet.. one of guards picked the cigarettes up, looked at them, looked at me, smiled and waved...

[christopherwebb]

Another strange legacy of a divided Germany: Deer who lived along the border between East and West Germany quickly learned to avoid the mine fields, and deer still avoid those areas like the plague to this day - even though any deer alive today would be several generations removed from the time when the land mines were still in place.

[Openbaarmaker]

The nostalgia referred to is called Ostalgie in German. Ost means East and Nostalgie means Nostalgia.

Well, East Germany is still behind the Western part of the country, sadly. And the Ostalgie is there for a reason.
I once talked to a man, an Ossie, a former East Berliner. In 2010 he told me:

"I used to have one job. I couldn't go where I wanted, for example Paris or London. But I could go on vacation to Prague, Budapest and the East-German and Polish coasts. We always went on summer holidays. Now, I have two jobs, and I barely make enough money to sustain myself. I can't go anywhere these days. I haven't been on a holiday for over 20 years now."

[laddiewink]

My dad was one of the few westerners who managed to cross checkpoint Charlie into East Germany. He was not a communist but went to teach English. Apparently, he would speak to his pupils about what it was like in the West. He went back to West Germany almost a year later.
He brought back a East german flag as a relic.

[superilikeeggsyo]

Suddenly I understand why Dance Dance Revolution was renamed to "Dancing Stage" in Europe. I imagine the "DDR" acronym would go over like a lead balloon.

[Kurtizss]

East German Worker: This Paycheck sucks

That German Worker who is secretly a Stasi Police: *Hallo*

[michaelf]

I was a tourist in Berlin in November 89. One day, I decided to see the East, just for fun. I went to a couple museums, and some book stores, and eventually found a bowling alley. I ate some bad East German food and bad beer, and hung with some other younger folks, and talked about what life was like on their side. But it was getting late, the S-Bahn had stopped running, and I had to get West, and the only way was thru Checkpoint Charlie, before it closed for the evening. With my new friends' help, I made it with no time to spare, and was the last through the gate, and as it turned out, one of the last ever that had to, as the next day, the Wall was brought down.

[MJJforever]

Both my parents grew up in East Germany. It is always interesting when they tell me about their life in the GDR. My father actually got to sing in the Army Choir. They sang in front of many high officials. He even went to Leningrad (St. Petersburg) and Moscow for performances.

[caleblott]

Stasi: because Google and Facebook was not yet invented.

[tannhauserr]

East German : Woah, this day sucks
Stasi : WRITE THAT, GUTHROFF!!

[CraftDayFriends]

As someone coming from the east, I'd like to say that for my parents (born in mid 70s) East Germany was actually seen as the most prosperous nation in the Warsaw Pact, for example it was considered prestigious to serve in East Germany as a Soviet citizen

[tralfamadorian]

Old joke from eastern europe: what has twenty years of capitalism done that seventy years of communism couldnt? Make communism look good.

[boreasreal]

From what I was told by both my father, his parents and my neighbour, who all grew up in the GDR, life for the average person wasn't that bad. The worst thing for them was that their work was basically sitting around after they matched their quota and waiting very long for luxury goods they bought, especially cars, which sometimes took years to arrive. Also alcohol, very much alcohol.

[AverytheCubanAmerican]

Why do Stasi officers make such good taxi drivers? *You get in the car and they already know your name and where you live
*
I'd love to do one of those tours where you drive around Berlin in a Trabant. The history of the DDR is very interesting

[goofymode]

My Grandfather served in the East German army. he had forbidden my father to go to the protests because he feard he had to shoot at them

[vere]

Fun fact: In West "Democratic" means free election, but Communists by the word "democratic" meant rule by the people => rule by the majority => majority is proletariat (workers) => proletariat (workers) dictatorship => Dictatorship by the workers is democratic, because they are majority.

[advisingbob]

Father: "Are you winning son?"
Son: "...y-yes...."
Wall: "He's lying..."

[Pusher]

I’ve got a friend who did multiple tours in Northern Ireland and served in the Falklands, all that bombing and shooting and death didn’t hold a candle to the tension he felt walking the Berlin Wall.

[x-ray-oh]

Stasi veteran: "we used to have ten photos from each citizen's personal lives"
-"amateurs"
Stasi veteran: "what did you say punk?"
NSA: "AMATEURS"