A Day in East Berlin: Life Behind the Iron Curtain (1989)

Footage of street scenes and daily life in East Berlin, the capital of the German Democratic Republic (Deutsche Demokratische Republik, DDR), also known as East Germany (Ostdeutschland). This footage was filmed on 12 July 1989. While the first pictures of the border guards patrolling the Berlin Wall are the kind most often associated with East Berlin, as the camera crew journey into the city, the viewer quickly becomes acquainted with the ordinary rhythms of civilian life.

#WindowsOnTheWorld #EastBerlin #Berlin #ColdWar #IronCurtain #EastGermany #WestGermany #East #West #Politics #Communism #Socialism #GermanDemocraticRepublic #GDR #DDR #1980s #1989 #Mauerfall #Wanderlust #Ambient #Soundscape #Landscape #Cityscape #CityLife #StreetScene #StreetScenes #SoundsOfNature #SoundsForSleeping #Culture #Travel #Travelling #1980s #1989 #DailyLife #Lifestyle #SoothingSounds #Soothing #CalmingSounds #PeacefulMind #Calm #Serene #AroundTheWorld #AmbientNoise #AmbientSounds #SovietWave #SovietCore

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[Chris-pfby]

This is an important historical document. Thank you very much for digitizing and uploading this for the world to see.

[thumperpaul]

I went to Berlin in 1992 with my cousin, and while the Wall had been mostly removed, you could definitely tell the difference between east and west.

[plymouth]

One of the best visual archiv from East Berlin. Quality is really impressive and scene of the ordinary life without any comments are very nice too. Thank you so much for sharing 👍

[susannebrown]

I lived in West Germany at the time and I don't think anyone in my friendgroup expected the wall to come down, we had lived with it our whole lives at that point and it was normal. I will always remember the euphoria. We were driving on the Autobahn heading to Vienna in September of 1989 when Hungary opened its borders and allowed East Germans on holiday to drive through to Austria. All of a sudden there was a wave of the tiny East German Trabi cars coming the other way honking with people hanging outside the car windows and we couldn't believe what was happening. Thousands were simply "going around" the wall once the Eastern bloc disintegrated and that increased the pressure on the regime to open the wall.

[frankdenardo]

Those cars from other Iron Curtain countries.
Polski Fiat, Poland 🇵🇱
Škoda, Czechoslovakia
Lada, Soviet Union
Gaz, Soviet Union
AZLK, Soviet Union
Trabant, East Germany
Wartburg, East Germany
Yugo, Yugoslavia
Dacia, Romania 🇷🇴
Buses built by Ikarus of Hungary 🇭🇺
Trucks from IFA, Kamaz, MAZ.

[Hammer]

This is an amazing piece of history. Thank you for uploading it.

[dangerous_ideas]

The town is so comforting for the eyes and ears. No commercials and billboards all around the city.

[Blackfinger]

Must be difficult to find your own Trabant when it is parked by the curb😁

[hoderharris]

Thank you so much for downloading this.I am an American who grew up with a fascination of the eastern block countries. I visited Romania for the first 2003. 20 years later, I have been to Romania over 40 times as I now chair a foundation that works with the largest private orphanage in Romania. It was footage like this that I saw as a kid that inspired me to learn more about this part of the world. YOu are doing a valuable service by putting this on YouTube..Thanks again!

[gemmeliusgrammaticus]

The sad thing is that it looks nicer and safer than Berlin of today.

[markhardcastle]

Many thanks for the upload. Fascinating. And a great range of mullets on show!

[AJGeeTV]

Great video. I was there at the same time in East Berlin but took few photos, yet alone a video! This brings back vivid memories. Thanks.

[flagwaver]

My wife and I were in E and W Berlin that summer and saw not a sign of unrest. I was stationed at Ramstein AFB in W Germany and loved to travel to Berlin with all the history and big city attractions.

[KINGMJ]

The city looks better than most cities in India in 2023. I don't see why this is depressing. Somebody in africa would kill to have this kind of a city in 2023 as their capital

[rolandvoss]

I remember those days being grey rather than in colours 🤔. Amazing footage. Thank you for sharing!

[garybrooks]

I was a soldier stationed in west Berlin with the 502 airborne in 1982 . I love to watch these old films. Thanks

[naglim]

It’s so interesting for me to see the WW11 bunker at 6:33, on Reinhardtstraße. I’ve stayed near there a number of times and have always found it to be a fascinating structure.
To see it here, back in the DDR times with the other surrounding buildings is great, thanks.

[xgamerbih]

A world without ads on every spot? Without billboards and stupid flashy signs saying “BUY THIS!”.

[redmaroc]

ايام مذهلة كان والدي يعمل دورة تدريبية في شركة الرافعات العملاقه لجمهورية المانيا الشرقية ، قمنا بزيارته في صيف 1989 كان عمري انذاك 13 سنة كنت لا اعرف كلمة واحدة بالامانية لكن كنت الهو وامرح مع الشباب والشابات الالمانيات كنا نلعب كرة القدم كل يوم ،كانت ايام جميلة جدا مازلت احتفض بكل الصور ، شكرا جمهورية المانيا الشرقية على كل شيء ، الان انا اعيش في فرنسا المجتمع الرأسمالي المستهلك حيات بلا ذوق.

[lloydchen]

I traveled from West Berlin via checkpoint to East Berlin as a Chinese student in April 1986. Being forced to fill out so many forms as a kid from a socialist country when entering western countries, I was so delighted that I just had to wave my China passport, warmly welcomed by East Germany's border officials (girls) and walked into East Berlin. I saw American kids sitting in a separate room filling out forms, I felt so revenged. Haha .... However this feeling was very short lived, as I walked down the commercial-less street, I was approached by young men asking me to exchange west german sad. What a memorable trip! LONG LIVE GERMANY.