Talking about the political system of East Berlin one should state that communism and socialism are two different things. Although these two terms are sometimes used inter-changeably, they refer to two different ideologies. In the case of East Berlin politics favored communism, but some aspects of socialism were also followed. With this in mind this blog post will highlight different characteristics of the political system of East Berlin with the anticipation of aiding the visitor/beginner with more comprehensive information.

The Rise of East Berlin

The area of Berlin got split into East and West on the backdrop of the post World War II political differences between the allied powers. East Berlin became the capital of the German Democratic Republic German Democratic Republic was a socialist country which looked forward to the Soviet Union.

Communism in East Berlin

Communism was ruling in the East Berlin. The SED of Germany was guided by the Marxist-Leninist political system and sought to give the socialist society the classless form. This included the socialization of industries, the taking over of agricultural land and organization of large farms which were mostly owned by farmers.

The key feature in East Berlin was the socialization of the means of production and therefore the complete prohibition of privatization. In all major industries like manufacturing and mining all of them were state-owned and state-controlled. This meant that the government was involved in making decisions of what and how much to produce, where to sell and for how much.

Key Features of East Berlin’s Communist System:

• State ownership of industries

• The organization of economic planning
• Agricultural collectivisation
• Lack of ownership of production means by private capital
• Concentration on the elimination of the disparities between individuals and the subjects’ general welfare
• Single-party political system

Socialism in East Berlin

Although communism was the belief system in East Berlin, aspect of socialism were also being practiced. In general socialism targets the modification of the number and distribution of the social assets in an effort to bring about a more equitable society. In the context of East Berlin, this was expressed, for instance, through social projects and measures aimed at approval of all individuals’, including welfare, rights.

Some of the socialist features of East Berlin were that citizens of this area enjoyed free medical care, education and even shelter. Some of the measures that were taken could work to ensure that all the basic needs were easily provided in the state regardless of the classes. This emphasis on social welfare was meant to at least reduce class differences.

Key Features of East Berlin’s Socialist Aspects:

• Health care services to be provided to each of the citizen who is a resident in this country.
• Education secured or made certain
• State-provided housing
• This range of redistributive measures Also
• Focus on social equality

The Legacy of East Berlin

Since the demolition of the Berlin Wall in 1989 thus the re-unification of Germany, the socialist structure in East Berlin had deteriorated. Breakthroughs to the capitalist market economy conception really changed the course and socialist part faded gradually allowing the establishment of more market friendly economy.

Present day Berlin is the capital city of Germany, reunified after the wall separating east and west Berlin was torn down in 1989.East Berlin may still be preserved in the architectural and historical designs but has migrated into a vibrant almost pulsating cosmopolitan city.

Conclusion

East Berlin in general followed a Marxist Leninist form of communism. But it also has strong socialistic tints in order to achieve the goal of improving the welfare of the society and minimizing classes contrast. It is important to differentiate between these two ideologies so as to have a grasp of the political systems that were present in East Berlin. Although the political structure of the city has changed after that, it is possible to observe and research the communist and socialist impacts of the city today.