Portal:East Germany

< Portals < Geography < Europe < Germany < East Germany

The East Germany Portal Portal:East Germany "Gruß" and welcome! The East Germany portal offers an overview of the most important and newest articles on the subject of East Germany, the former Communist state officially known as the German Democratic Republic or GDR The portal contains links to a cross-section of articles from the areas of history and politics, geography and economy, art and culture, and some of the important personalities from the region. Introduction East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from its formation on 7 October 1949 until its reunification with West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany) on 3 October 1990. Until 1989, it was generally viewed as a communist state and described itself as a socialist workers' and peasants' state. Before its establishment, the country's territory was administered and occupied by Soviet forces following the Berlin Declaration abolishing German sovereignty in World War II. The Potsdam Agreement established the Soviet-occupied zone, bounded on the east by the Oder–Neiße line. The Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) was established in 1946 through a forced merger of the East German branches of the Communist Party of Germany and the Social Democratic Party of Germany. The SED dominated political life in the GDR following the country's establishment, before being democratized and liberalized amid the revolutions of 1989; this paved the way for East Germany's reunification with West Germany. Unlike the government of West Germany, the SED did not see its state as the successor to the German Reich (1871–1945). In 1974, it abolished the goal of unification in the constitution. The SED-ruled GDR was often described as a Soviet satellite state; historians describe it as an authoritarian regime. (Full article...)
Selected article - General elections were held in East Germany on 18 March 1990. These were the first free elections held in the region since the turbulent Weimar days of 1932 and would become the only truly democratic vote in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). The election stood as a final verdict on four decades of one-party rule by the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED)–led National Front. It took place against the backdrop of the German reunification process, which had already begun to gather momentum. The contest was swept by the Alliance for Germany, a coalition led by the newly reconstituted East German Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which captured 192 of the 400 seats in the Volkskammer and had run on a promise of swift reunification with West Germany. The Social Democratic Party (SPD), re-established only months earlier after its forced 1946 merger with the Communist Party of Germany (KPD), was widely tipped to win but instead came second with 88 seats. In third was the former ruling SED, now rebranded as the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), which secured 66 seats. The Alliance fell just short of an outright majority having needed 201 seats to govern alone. Lothar de Maizière, the CDU's leader, invited the SPD to join a broad coalition alongside the German Social Union (DSU) and Democratic Awakening (DA). The SPD hesitated, wary of the DSU's right-wing populist tone, having earlier vowed to collaborate with all but the PDS and DSU. However, a grand coalition was ultimately formed. This government, commanding a two-thirds supermajority in the Volkskammer, set about the task of dismantling the East German state and laying the legal groundwork for reunification, although the coalition would collapse later that August. On 3 October 1990, the GDR ceased to exist and all its territories joined the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). 144 Volkskammer members were integrated into the West German Bundestag, serving until the all-German federal election on 2 December that year. (Full article...) List of selected articles Inner German border Tear down this wall! Altes Stadthaus, Berlin Naked Among Wolves (1963 film) Trabant Liberation (film series) Arthur Pieck Interflug Eastern Bloc Berlin Wall German reunification Berlin Crisis of 1961 Iron Curtain Berlin border crossings Fall of the Berlin Wall The Sons of Great Bear Aufbauliteratur Erna Dorn Flag of East Germany A Berlin Romance Jacob the Liar (1975 film) Ernst Melsheimer Fernsehturm Berlin Inge Keller Bertolt Brecht Gisela Steineckert GDR Union of Journalists Margot Honecker MKF-6 (multispectral camera) Zersetzung Dean Reed Erich Apel East German balloon escape East German uprising of 1953 Stasi Records Agency Memorial and Education Centre Andreasstraße Willi Stoph National Front of the German Democratic Republic DDR Museum Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial Memorial and Education Centre Andreasstraße Peaceful Revolution Manfred von Ardenne Susanne Schädlich New states of Germany National People's Army Ore Mountains Stasi Checkpoint Charlie East Berlin Geography and nature East German administrative divisions or Bezirke The German Democratic Republic, which consisted geographically of what is now eastern Germany, had an area of 107,771 km2 (41,610 mi2), bordering Czechoslovakia in the south, West Germany in the south and west, the Baltic Sea to the north, and Poland in the east. Much of the territory of the former East Germany lay on the North German Plain and was largely flat and agricultural apart from low morainic hills left by the ice age. However in the south the land rose to the Ore Mountains and Elbe Sandstone Mountains that formed the border with its Communist neighbour, Czechoslovakia. Administration divisions (Bezirke): Berlin – Cottbus – Dresden – Erfurt – Frankfurt (Oder) – Gera – Halle – Karl-Marx-Stadt – Leipzig – Magdeburg – Neubrandenburg – Potsdam – Rostock – Schwerin – Suhl Cities and towns: Altenburg – Apolda – Bautzen – Brandenburg/Havel – Cottbus – Dessau – Dresden – Eberswalde – Eisenach – Stalinstadt/Eisenhüttenstadt – Erfurt – Frankfurt (Oder) – Freiberg – Gera – Görlitz – Gotha – Greifswald – Halberstadt – Halle – Halle-Neustadt – Hoyerswerda – Jena – Chemnitz/Karl-Marx-Stadt – Leipzig – Magdeburg – Merseburg – Neubrandenburg – Plauen – Potsdam – Rostock – Schwedt – Schwerin – Stralsund – Suhl – Weimar – Wismar – Wittenberg – Zittau – Zwickau Rivers and canals: Elbe – Gera - Havel – Neiße – Oder – Saale – Spree – Unstrut – White Elster – Black Elster – Mittelland Canal – Werra Waterbodies: Müritz – Schweriner See – Plauer See – Kummerower See – Scharmützelsee – Werbellinsee – Großer Müggelsee – Bay of Greifswald – Oderhaff Islands: Rügen – Poel – Usedom – Hiddensee – Greifswalder Oie Mountain and hill ranges: Ore Mountains – Harz – Elbe Sandstone Mountains – Thuringian Forest – Thuringian Highland – Vogtland – Kyffhäuser – Rhön – Zittau Mountains Regions: Dresden Elbe Valley – Lusatia – Spreewald – Mecklenburg Lake District – Barnim – Fläming – Magdeburg Börde – Altmark – Saxon Switzerland – Eichsfeld History, politics and religion Border installations at Marienborn History: 1953 Uprising – Dacha – Four Power Agreement on Berlin – Basic Treaty, 1972 – Permanent representative – Palace of the Republic – Begrüßungsgeld GDR border: Treaty of Zgorzelec – Berlin Wall – Inner German border – Border crossings – Berlin Friedrichstraße station – Checkpoint Charlie – Marienborn border crossing – Spring-gun – Republikflucht – Mindestumtausch Deaths at the Berlin Wall: Fechter – Gueffroy – Litfin – Siekmann Die Wende: Monday demonstrations – Social Democratic Party – 1990 General Election – Treuhand – Two Plus Four Agreement – Reunification (Einigungsvertrag) – Stasi Records Agency – Ostalgie Logo of the Socialist Unity Party (SED) Politics: State flag – National Emblem – National hymn – Constitution – Volkskammer (People's Chamber) – State Council – Council of Ministers – National Front – Socialist Unity Party – Bloc party – Christian Democratic Union – Liberal Democratic Party – Democratic Farmers' Party – National Democratic Party – Administrative divisions (Bezirke) "Mass organisations": Free German Youth – Free German Trade Union Federation – Cultural Association of the GDR – Democratic Women's League of Germany – People's Solidarity – Society for German–Soviet Friendship – Ernst Thälmann Pioneer Organisation Armed bodies: National People's Army – Border Troops – Schießbefehl – Stasi – Hauptverwaltung Aufklärung (Main Directorate for Reconnaissance) – Volkspolizei – Combat Groups – Volksmarine – Armeegeneral – Marshal – Warsaw Pact – Construction soldier Other orders: Orders, decorations, and medals of East Germany – Banner of Labour – Order of Karl Marx – National Prize of the German Democratic Republic – Scharnhorst Order – Star of People's Friendship – Blücher Order Dresden's Roman Catholic Cathedral (the Hofkirche) at night Religion: Evangelical Church in Berlin, Brandenburg and Silesian Upper Lusatia – Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg – Pomeranian Evangelical Church – Evangelical Church of the Church Province of Saxony– Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thuringia – Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Berlin – Roman Catholic Diocese of Dresden-Meissen – Roman Catholic Diocese of Erfurt – Roman Catholic Diocese of Görlitz – Roman Catholic Diocese of Magdeburg Education, culture and sport Education and science: Education in East Germany – Academy of Sciences of the German Democratic Republic– Charité – Humboldt University of Berlin – Erweiterte Oberschule – Polytechnic Secondary School – Tierpark Berlin – Muttiheft Language: German – Berlinerisch – Sorbian Culture: Culture of East Germany – Classical Weimar Art: Theater am Schiffbauerdamm – Semperoper Architecture: Bauhaus World Heritage Site - Fernsehturm Berlin - Krämerbrücke - Plattenbau - Prora Music: List of classical composers – Ostrock Film: DEFA – DEFA Film Library - Kino International - List of films set in Berlin Places of interest: Dresden Castle – Sanssouci – Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm Cathedrals and churches: Berlin Cathedral – Erfurt Cathedral – Naumburg Cathedral Museums and collections: DDR Museum - German Hygiene Museum - Memorial and Education Centre Andreasstrasse - Museum Island – Old Synagogue (Erfurt) - Pergamon Museum - Stasi Museum - Tränenpalast Sport: List of football clubs – GDR Football Association – DDR-Oberliga – FDGB-Pokal – 1. FC Union Berlin – Berliner FC Dynamo – Dynamo Dresden – FC Carl Zeiss Jena – Red Bull Arena East German people Erich Mielke, Head of the Stasi Politicians: Benjamin – Bergmann-Pohl – Böhme – Dertinger – Dieckmann – Fechner – Gerlach – Götting – G. Gysi – Hager – H. Hoffmann – Th. Hoffmann – E. Honecker – M. Honecker – Keßler – Krack – Krenz – de Maizière – Maleuda – Mielke – Mittag – Modrow – Neumann – Norden – Schabowski – Schalck-Golodkowski – Sindermann – Stoph – Tisch – Ulbricht – Verner – M. Wolf – Wollweber – Zaisser Opposition and resistance: Bahro – Biermann – M. Birthler – Bohley – Brüsewitz – Eppelmann – Fuchs – Führer – Gauck – Havemann – Ullmann Scientists: von Ardenne Artists, playwrights, poets, writers: Andersen Nexø – Baierl – Brecht – Busch – Esche – Hacks – Heym – Kant – H. Müller – Noll – Plenzdorf – Anna Seghers – Strittmatter – Tübke – Weigel – Chr. Wolf – Womacka Athletes: Cierpinski – Emmrich – Geyer – Hoppe – Langhammer – Laser – Recknagel – Sammer – Täve Schur – Siegl – Sparwasser – Streich – Weißflog – Witt	General images The following are images from various East Germany-related articles on Wikipedia. Logo for Der schwarze Kanal (from Culture of East Germany) Economic activity in the GDR (from History of East Germany) Statues of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the Marx-Engels-Forum, Berlin (from Culture of East Germany) Mosaic by Walter Womacka in Eisenhüttenstadt (from Culture of East Germany) Strausberger Platz in East Berlin (from Culture of East Germany) 1951 East German stamp commemorating the Treaty of Zgorzelec establishing the Oder-Neisse line as a "border of peace", featuring the presidents Wilhelm Pieck (GDR) and Bolesław Bierut (Poland) (from History of East Germany) Allied-occupied Germany in 1947. The territories east of the Oder-Neisse line, under Polish and Soviet administration/annexation, are shown as white, as is the likewise detached Saar protectorate. Berlin is the multinational area within the Soviet zone. (from History of East Germany) Allocation policy for "surplus" German heavy industry under the "Level of Industry" plans (from History of East Germany) East German leaflet, fired across the inner German border (from Culture of East Germany) Map showing the different borders and territories of Poland and Germany during the 20th century, with the current areas of Germany and Poland in dark gray (from History of East Germany) The Oder-Neisse Line (from History of East Germany) Logo for the 40th anniversary of the German Democratic Republic in 1989 (from History of East Germany) The logo of the SED (from History of East Germany) Public nudist area at Müggelsee, East Berlin (1989) (from Culture of East Germany) GDR era Karl Marx monument in Chemnitz (renamed Karl-Marx-Stadt from 1953 to 1990) (from History of East Germany) The flag of the German Democratic Republic, 1959–1990 (from History of East Germany) Prager Straße in Dresden in 1972 (from Culture of East Germany) Inter-German Border Strip at the Berlin Wall (from History of East Germany) Eastern German reenacters at an Indianistikmeeting in Schwerin, 1982. The popular image of Native Americans made Native American living history quite popular in East Germany. (from Culture of East Germany) Quick start   East Germany   History of East Germany   East Germans   Warsaw Pact   Comecon   Portal:Soviet Union Wikipedia in the local dialects   Plattdüütsch Wikipedia   Dolnoserbski Wikipedia   Hornjoserbšćina Wikipedia Category tree Did you know? ... that Ostalgie is a German term referring to nostalgia for aspects of the old life in East Germany? Image of the month The Honour Guard of the East German National People's Army. more... Image management | Related portals Wanted articles The following are wanted articles, related to East Germany, that exist on German Wikipedia, or are otherwise wanted. Geography: Waterbodies: Borna Reservoir Islands, etc.: Island of Youth – Spree Island – Friendship Island History: Neuerer – Messe der Meister von Morgen – Frida Hockauf Method – Bückware – Commercial Coordination (Kommerzielle Koordinierung) – State Planning Commission (East Germany) – Non-socialist Economic Region – Prisoner ransom (Häftlingsfreikauf) – Personal identity number (East Germany) (Personenkennzahl) – Hausbuch – Travel application (Ausreiseantrag) Culture: P. Abraham – Boll - East German cinema - Franz – Hahnemann – Jankofsky – E. Köhler - Palitzsch – Quermann – Stengel Literature: – East German Science Fiction - East German socialist realism Language: – Language usage in the GDR Art: – Olympic Games on stamps of the GDR Deutsche Post Architecture: GDR College of Construction Engineering – Architecture in the German Democratic Republic Music: Committee for the Art of Conversation – Anstalt zur Wahrung der Aufführungs- und Vervielfältigungsrechte auf dem Gebiet der Musik – Performance licence – Michael Rauhut GDR border: GDR visa warrant (Berechtigungsschein zum Empfang eines Visums der DDR) – Border regime (Grenzregime) – Pass agreeement (Passierscheinabkommen) – Transit traffic – Victims of the Berlin Wall – Operation Vermin (Aktion Ungeziefer) Border crossing victims: Göring – Huhn Die Wende: de Maizière government – Cost of German Unity Politics: – Party secretary (East Germany) – Bezirkstag Mass organisations: Association of Sport and Technology – Chamber of Technology Armed bodies: Community policeman (Abschnittsbevollmächtigter) – NVA oath of allegiance (Fahneneid) – Schwedt Military Gaol – State Secretariat for State Security Other orders: Order of Fatherland Service Religion: Christians and the church in the GDR – Federation of Evangelical churches in the GDR – Evangelical State Church of Silesian Upper Lusatia – Evangelical-Lutheran State Church of Saxony – Federation of Evangelical-Free Church Parishes in the GDR Education and science: Science and technology in the GDR – Central Institute for Youth Research – School flag ceremony – Workers and Farmers Faculty – Multi-spectral camera – Arbeiterstudium Places of interest:– Kyffhausen Imperial Castle – Wiprecht Castle, Groitzsch Museums: Bell and Town Museum, Apolda Sport: BSG KKW Greifswald – Ice hockey – Gymnastic and sports festivals in the GDR – DDR-Rundfahrt People: Axen – Bentzien – Böhm – Gießmann – Herrmann – Heusinger – H.-J. Hoffmann – Lietz – Luft – Warnke – H. Wolf – Ziller Opposition: Weiß Scientists: Dathe – Gossweiler – Moritz Mebel Sport:Geißler – Reich – Schäffner – Schnieke Finance: Commemorative coins of the GDR Cuisine: Filinchen – Nordhäuser Doppelkorn Media: Tageszeitungen – – National-Zeitung – Tribüne – Die Union – Märkische Oderzeitung – Das Magazin – Eulenspiegel – FF-Dabei – Neue Berliner Illustrierte – Atze – Trommel – Westfernsehen – Herr Fuchs und Frau Elster – Glück muß man haben – Willi Schwabes Rumpelkammer - Nationales Spielfilm-Festival – Stimme der DDR – Berliner Welle – Sport aktuell (DDR) Postal: East German postage stamps Justice:Labour law (East Germany) – Employment law (East Germany) – Family law (East Germany) – Judicial system of East Germany – Criminal law (East Germany) – Waldheim Trials – Civil law (East Germany) – Waldheim Gaol Transport: Firefighting vehicles of the GDR – L60 – MZ TS motorcycle – Simson S70 – Roads in the GDR – W50 Economy: EAW Berlin – Einzelhandelsverkaufspreis – Konsum (East Germany) – Consumer goods production in the GDR – List of East German products – Malimo – NARVA – Produktionsgenossenschaft des Handwerks (PGH) – SERO – SKET – Vereinigung Organisationseigener Betriebe (VOB) – Wolfen Film Company –
Economy and transport An East German Deutsche Reichsbahn express locomotive, the Class 01.5 Finance: Mindestumtausch – Forum check – East German mark – Staatsbank Cuisine: Broiler – Ketwurst – Soljanka Media: Censorship in East Germany Newspapers and magazines: Berliner Zeitung – Neues Deutschland – Junge Welt – Der Morgen – Sputnik – Mosaik – FRÖSI Radio: Rundfunk der DDR – Berliner Rundfunk – Radio DDR 1 – Radio DDR 2 – Deutschlandsender – Radio Berlin International – DT64 Television: Fernsehen der DDR – Aktuelle Kamera – Sandmännchen – Der schwarze Kanal Cinema and films: DEFA – Solo Sunny – Die Legende von Paul und Paula – Traces of Stones – Bear Ye One Another's Burden Postal: Deutsche Post of the GDR Justice: Brandenburg-Görden Prison Transport: Alexanderplatz – Karl-Marx-Allee – Barkas – Interflug – Reichsbahn – Robur – Trabant – Wartburg Economy: Genex - Industrieverband Fahrzeugbau (IFA) – Intershop – Combine – Leipzig Trade Fair – Landwirtschaftliche Produktionsgenossenschaft (LPG) – Minol – ORWO – Pentacon – Planned economy - Praktica – Comecon – VEB Robotron – Kombinat Mikroelektronik Erfurt - SDAG Wismut – Treuhand – Volkseigener Betrieb (VEB) – Public property New and expanded articles The following are articles, related to East Germany, added in the last six months. All articles on East Germany are here; Articles on East German people are here. Elbe Sandstone Mountains greatly expanded 12 May 2011 Sonnenstein Nazi Death Institute 23 April 2011 Karlheinz Steinmüller 9 May 2011 Angela Steinmüller 9 May 2011 Andymon 9 May 2011 The Quest for Christa T. 21 May 2011 Als die Götter starben 21 May 2011 Nabou 21 May 2011 Eolomea 22 May 2011  |  Wikimedia The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject: Commons Free media repository Wikidata Free knowledge base Wikiquote Collection of quotations Wikisource Free-content library Wikiversity Free learning tools Wikivoyage Free travel guide Wiktionary Dictionary and thesaurus Discover Wikipedia using portals List of all portals The arts portal Biography portal Current events portal Geography portal History portal Mathematics portal Science portal Society portal Technology portal Random portal WikiProject Portals