Welcome to our comprehensive guide on East Berlin during the Cold War. In this blog post, we will dive deep into the historical context, the division of Berlin, daily life in East Berlin, and the reunification process. Let’s begin!
1. Historical Context
Cold War or post war conflict was the state of hostility in the foreign affairs between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialistic Republics from the second half of the First World War to early 1990s. Berlin, the German capital, became a significant symbol of this conflict since it was divided into two opposing sectors: Soviet occupied East Berlin and the allied occupied West Berlin.
2. The Division of Berlin
The split of Berlin started in 1945 when the Allies (including Soviet Union) decided to divided defeated Germany among them. East Berlin was declared as the capital of the new German Democratic Republic (GDR) while West Berlin continued to be the part of Federal Republic of Germany (FRG).
The division became official in the summer of 1945 but deepened with the construction of the Berlin Wall in August 1961 to stop east Germans fleeing to the west. Further, this wall went round West Berlin to separate it from the rest of the GDR space.
3. Daily Life in East Berlin
Staying in East Berlin during Cold War was a whole different ball game than staying in the western side of the Berlin Wall. The East German government followed a policy of control and oppression of its people, restricting citizens’ rights, and especially placing an emphasis on an economic system of command.
3.1 Government Control
East Germany was ruled by the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) and effectively policed through the secret service, the Ministry for State Security (Stasi), that employed millions of people informers. There was surveillance of people’s movements; the government cracked down on any dissent to their rule.
3.2 Command Economy
From the period 1949-1990, East Germany had a command economy, whereby the government had several restrictions for governing principal industry sectors. This resulted to dearth of consumer goods and less options for the citizens. Citizens had to do with basic necessities and products, whereby, the quality of the products produced was relatively low than that of Western countries.
3.3 Restricted Travel
East Berliners were severely restricted when it came to travelling outside their city. To emigrate out of East Germany one needed permits, and travelling within the country was also restricted. These measures employed by the government to discourage people’s mega exodus that would pose a threat to the government’s authority.
4. Reunification
The day November 9th, 1989 becomes important; the rise of the Berlin Wall. The history which took place in Berlin paved way for the reunification of Germany on 3 rd of October in 1990.
Due to the disintegration of the USSR and finally the erosion of the East Germany governmentpeople started to demand freedom and the reunification of Germany. The improved politeness and immense nonviolent protests also known as the Peaceful Revolution helped to overthrow the oppression regime.
5. Exploring East Berlin Today
When the Berlin wall was knocked down, life changed considerably in the Eastern part of the city also known as East Berlin. Most of the architectural heritage and historical places were renovated, and the city attracted numerous cultural and art events.
Today tourists can traverse the magnificent structure like the Brandenburg Gate, visit the Berlin Wall Memorial or the Checkpoint Charlie Museum. It also has motor vehicle museums, galleries and parkage that displays the ancient and present life of the city – Berlin.
Conclusion
The city that was East Berlin during the Cold War was a city that was political and governed. East Berlin had very different rules when compared to West Berlin and the spirit of the people there drove the reunification of Germany. Today, East Berlin is full of history that the people of this world can come to visit and see the outcomes of the past.
