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Image: Jens Büttner/dpa/picture allianceImage: Jens Büttner/dpa/picture alliance

East Germany (GDR)

Declared in 1949, the German Democratic Republic was a Socialist-run state in the Soviet-occupied east after World War II. Following protests in 1989, the GDR ceased to exist with the reunification of Germany in 1990.

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All Content on this topic

People in civilian clothes leaning on and through two stretches of gray bars at an angle to each other.

People in civilian clothes leaning on and through two stretches of gray bars at an angle to each other.

Syria's secret services tactics echo Nazis, Stasi methods

The former dictatorship appears to have been shaped by Nazi war criminals who fled abroad and the East German Stasi.

DW Dokumentation | Angst, Macht, Gedenken / Die Dresdner Stasi-Zentrale

DW Dokumentation | Angst, Macht, Gedenken / Die Dresdner Stasi-Zentrale

Fear, power, remembrance — Dresden's Stasi headquarters

An inconspicuous block of buildings in Dresden harbors a dark secret.

Birgit Fischer

Birgit Fischer

Berlin Wall anniversary: East Germans who thrived after fall

After the Wall fell, these standout GDR athletes flourished on the international stage — and the medal podium.

People look at artworks lined up as an open-air installation at river Spree marking the former course of the Berlin Wall

People look at artworks lined up as an open-air installation at river Spree marking the former course of the Berlin Wall

How the Berlin Wall split the city in two

In 1961, Communist East Germany built a massive barrier throughout Berlin, dividing the city into east and west.

A man stand sin front of the construction site of the first mosque in the German city of Erfurt

A man stand sin front of the construction site of the first mosque in the German city of Erfurt

Building a mosque in East Germany

A Muslim community is building one of East Germany's first mosques with a minaret. Some residents are strongly opposed.

1. FC Magdeburg huddle up before a game

1. FC Magdeburg huddle up before a game

35 years after Berlin Wall, East German football struggling

East Germany’s political collapse was mirrored in football, but a focus on youth brings hope for the future.

A mural showing a Trabi car, a type popular in former East Germany, breaking through a wall. The car's numer plate has "Nov 9, 89" the date the Berlin wall fell.

A mural showing a Trabi car, a type popular in former East Germany, breaking through a wall. The car's numer plate has "Nov 9, 89" the date the Berlin wall fell.

The fall of the Berlin Wall, 35 years on

What was it like when the Berlin Wall fell? And where can you still see remains of the frontier today?

Picture of the bare backs of three people sitting on the sand at a beach.

Picture of the bare backs of three people sitting on the sand at a beach.

Is Germany drawing the curtain on nudism?

Germany is know for its liberalism toward public nudity. But nudism clubs are reporting a slump in membership.

Black and white photo of women at sewing machines in the women's' prison in Hoheneck, 1990s

Black and white photo of women at sewing machines in the women's' prison in Hoheneck, 1990s

Victims of East Germany's dictatorship hope for compensation

Ikea was among many companies that profited from forced labor in prisons under the former East German dictatorship.

IKEA entrance in Munich

IKEA entrance in Munich

Ikea to compensate East German prisoners for forced labor

The German branch of furniture giant Ikea has pledged millions to compensate workers from the now-defunct East Germany.

candles with the inscription '89

candles with the inscription '89

Leipzig marks the beginning of a peaceful revolution

On October 9, 1989, East Germans in Leipzig set off a chain of events that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall.

A man holds a folder to his face to obscure it at a court in Berlin as he faces trial for allegedly murdering a Polish citizen in 1974 for his employers the Stasi. March 14, 2024.

A man holds a folder to his face to obscure it at a court in Berlin as he faces trial for allegedly murdering a Polish citizen in 1974 for his employers the Stasi. March 14, 2024.

Berlin: Prosecution seeks 12 years in Stasi murder trial

An 80-year-old who worked for East Germany's Stasi is accused of murdering a Polish man trying to flee west in 1974.

Two GDR symbols: A flag of the GDR hanging on the Berlin Wall in 1990

Two GDR symbols: A flag of the GDR hanging on the Berlin Wall in 1990

East Germany: A failed experiment in dictatorship

Germany was divided between 1945 and 1990, but one can still feel it.

People stand with German flags in front of the Brandenburg Gate at night, in 1989

People stand with German flags in front of the Brandenburg Gate at night, in 1989

Defending the legacy of East Germany's peaceful revolution

Three decades after German reunification, the anti-immigrant AfD is on the rise. Former rights activists are outraged.

DW Dokumentationen | Geheime Unterwelten der DDR

DW Dokumentationen | Geheime Unterwelten der DDR

Bomb shelters and nuclear bunkers — East Germany's secrets

Hidden in the forests of eastern Germany are relics of the Cold War.

An election campaign billboard of the AfD party showing a Germany flag and the slogan Germany first

An election campaign billboard of the AfD party showing a Germany flag and the slogan Germany first

Far-right gains in east Germany could deal blow to economy

The far-right AfD has again made gains in a vote in eastern Germany, stirring worries about the region's economy.

US, UK and French soldiers walking past spectators

US, UK and French soldiers walking past spectators

1994: Remembering when World War II Allies left Berlin

Thirty years ago, the military presence of the US, Great Britain, France and the former Soviet Union came to an end.

A black and white image of the Berlin Wall and Brandenburg Gate in December 1968

A black and white image of the Berlin Wall and Brandenburg Gate in December 1968

3 reasons the past still shapes eastern Germany today

The popularity of the far-right AfD among voters in eastern Germany hints at a deep rift 35 years after reunification.

Parteien in Deutschland zur Wahl - Wahlzettel mit Stift | Illustration

Parteien in Deutschland zur Wahl - Wahlzettel mit Stift | Illustration

Why are the German state elections so important?

The AfD could win three state elections. It would be the first victory for a far-right party in post-war Germany.

The "Russenhäuser" in Berlin's Karlshorst district

The "Russenhäuser" in Berlin's Karlshorst district

Could Ukraine get Berlin’s abandoned 'Russian houses'?

A local politician aims to confiscate derelict Russian-owned buildings in Berlin for Ukraine's benefit.

Martin Schirdewan and Janine Wissler

Martin Schirdewan and Janine Wissler

Germany's Left Party on the brink of oblivion

The most important socialist voice in the country's political landscape is struggling for survival.

Deutschland Brandenburg Kundgebung der AfD

Deutschland Brandenburg Kundgebung der AfD

Why is the far-right AfD so powerful in eastern Germany?

Why is the far-right AfD so powerful in eastern Germany?

Relatives of the Palestinians died in Israeli attacks, mourn as they receive the dead bodies from the morgue of Al-Aqsa Hospital

Relatives of the Palestinians died in Israeli attacks, mourn as they receive the dead bodies from the morgue of Al-Aqsa Hospital

Middle East: Germany, France, UK demand 'urgent' cease-fire

The three European states have called for an immediate halt to fighting in Gaza and warned Iran against escalation.

The defendant on trial in the Berlin courtroom, using a file to obscue his face, on March 14, 2024.

The defendant on trial in the Berlin courtroom, using a file to obscue his face, on March 14, 2024.

Germany: Stasi murder in Berlin 50 years ago on trial

The 1974 shooting of a Polish man at a Berlin border crossing in broad daylight was a high profile case at the time.

The official mascot of UEFA EURO 2024 stands by the trophy

The official mascot of UEFA EURO 2024 stands by the trophy

Euro 2024: The west continues to dominate German sports

Of the 10 cities hosting matches for the European Football Championship, only one is located in former East Germany.

German author Jenny Erpenbeck holding award at International Booker Prize 2024

German author Jenny Erpenbeck holding award at International Booker Prize 2024

Germany's Jenny Erpenbeck wins International Booker Prize

Erpenbeck's novel "Kairos" depicts a turbulent love story in the final years of communist East Germany.

Main entrance of the BND, a man walking past

Main entrance of the BND, a man walking past

Germany's most spectacular espionage cases

Germany has long been targeted by foreign intelligence services. Here's a reminder of some prominent spy cases.

Suspected terrorist and RAF member Daniela Klette.

Suspected terrorist and RAF member Daniela Klette.

Germany's RAF terror: Will new arrest answer old questions?

After Daniela Klette's arrest, investigators are hoping for new insights into crimes committed by the Red Army Faction.

people standing atop the Berlin Wall on December 22, 1989, holding a banner reading "Germany, united Fatherland"

people standing atop the Berlin Wall on December 22, 1989, holding a banner reading "Germany, united Fatherland"

Understanding how Germany and Europe ended the Cold War

A new way to present history in the classroom: A traveling exhibit illustrates the recent German and European past.

Pictures of victims of Berlin Wall, including Czeslaw Kukuczka (middle)

Pictures of victims of Berlin Wall, including Czeslaw Kukuczka (middle)

Ex-Stasi officer faces charges in 1974 Berlin border killing

An 80-year-old ex-employee of the former East German secret police is charged with killing Polish man Czeslaw Kukuczka.

A man in a group of protesters holds up a protest sign, a red stop sign with the words "Stop Nazis"

A man in a group of protesters holds up a protest sign, a red stop sign with the words "Stop Nazis"

East Germans take a stand against the far right

As Germany sees an ongoing wave of protests against the far right, new alliances are emerging in the east.

Wolfgang Schäuble, an older man wearing rimless glasses, looking thoughtful (black and white image)

Wolfgang Schäuble, an older man wearing rimless glasses, looking thoughtful (black and white image)

Wolfgang Schäuble: A veteran heavyweight of German politics

Wolfgang Schäuble, a politician with passion and a Protestant sense of duty, shaped German politics for half a century.

Leonardo Fossati Ortega at the Berlin exhibtion

Leonardo Fossati Ortega at the Berlin exhibtion

German exhibition shines light on child abduction

An exhibition in Berlin shines a light on this grim reality of children being abducted to coerce or punish others.

A farmer dressed in yellow caresses the snouts of several pigs

A farmer dressed in yellow caresses the snouts of several pigs

Dutch farmer saves Germany's last socialist pigs

A Dutch farmer has rescued pedigree pigs from the former East Germany from the brink of extinction.

A person climbing onto an S-Bahn train for repair.

A person climbing onto an S-Bahn train for repair.

Berlin says goodbye to its East German trains

Train buffs have one last chance to see the beloved Model 485s before the city decommissions its last GDR S-Bahn trains.

L-R: Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and John Lennon pose in a black-and-white photo from 1962.

L-R: Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and John Lennon pose in a black-and-white photo from 1962.

The Beatles, beat music and East Germany

A new book describes the GDR regime's ambivalent relationship with beat music.

Mosambik Maputo | Proteste von Madgermanes

Mosambik Maputo | Proteste von Madgermanes

Mozambique: GDR contract workers protest

In Mozambique’s capital city of Maputo, former GDR contract workers demand justice.

A Stasi cap

A Stasi cap

Ex-Stasi worker charged with 1974 East Berlin murder

German prosecutors charge an ex-employee of East Germany's secret police of carrying out a murder almost 50 years ago.

Celebrations at the Reichstag in Berlin

Celebrations at the Reichstag in Berlin

Russian textbook claims German unification was 'annexation'

Claiming that West Germany annexed the East, the book distorts history to fit to the Kremlin's anti-Western narrative.

Deutschland Feier zur Deutschen Einheit in Berlin

Deutschland Feier zur Deutschen Einheit in Berlin

Germany celebrates unity amid feelings of division

Many Germans still do not see much reason to celebrate 33 years after the union of two German nations.

The Freedom and Unity Monument, Berlin

The Freedom and Unity Monument, Berlin

Will Berlin's monument to German Unity ever be completed?

A memorial to Germany's reunification was to be inaugurated four years ago. Now no one knows when it will be ready. Why?

Thousands fly German flags and shoot off fireworks in front of a government building

Thousands fly German flags and shoot off fireworks in front of a government building

Germany: Study shows former East and West growing apart

Most Germans believe those living in parts of the country once separated by the Iron Curtain have little in common.

Ruth Fuchs competes in the Olympic javelin competition at the 1972 Munich games

Ruth Fuchs competes in the Olympic javelin competition at the 1972 Munich games

Ruth Fuchs, GDR javelin ace turned German politician, dies

The former East German athlete later served in the East German and reunified German parliaments.

People walking past Berlin's East Side Gallery

People walking past Berlin's East Side Gallery

Study shows Germany's East-West divide in top positions

More than 30 years after reunification, East Germans remain underrepresented in high-level jobs, researchers have found.

Louis Armstrong playing the trumpet

Louis Armstrong playing the trumpet

How Louis Armstrong left his mark in East Germany

The exhibition "I've Seen the Wall" revisits the jazz icon's concerts in communist East Germany in 1965.

A gynecologist chair with a close-up of the footrest.

A gynecologist chair with a close-up of the footrest.

In former East Germany, women sexually abused in clinics

East German authorities forcibly detained and abused women in sexual health clinics as a form of ideological control.

People standing on a film set during the 1950s, with buildings around.

People standing on a film set during the 1950s, with buildings around.

What was it like to be Jewish in East Germany?

Hoping to build "the better Germany," many Jewish artists left their mark in the former communist East Germany.

Sahra Wagenknecht, her dark hair up and wearing pendant earrings, against a red background

Sahra Wagenknecht, her dark hair up and wearing pendant earrings, against a red background

Is Germany's Left Party on the brink of collapse?

The socialist Left Party is in trouble: one of its most prominent figures wants to start her own political movement.

Wolf Biermann sitting next to a microphone, hand on a guitar.

Wolf Biermann sitting next to a microphone, hand on a guitar.

Germany's eternal dissident: Singer Wolf Biermann

A new exhibition about singer-songwriter and GDR dissident Wolf Biermann reflects the history of a divided Germany.

A street demonstration of AfD leaders and supporters holding a banner reading 'our country first!'

A street demonstration of AfD leaders and supporters holding a banner reading 'our country first!'

Half of eastern Germans 'want authoritarian rule'

Leipzig University found that a majority of those surveyed wants a "strong man" or a "strong party" leadership.