The Dark Truth About Life In East Germany
Life In East Germany
In 1949, following the Cold War, Germany was divided, with half the country becoming a communist state. Citizens were stripped of their freedoms and dealt torturous consequences. Every aspect of their culture became censored. Their mail was opened and their phones were tapped.
After millions of people fled the region, the government built the Berlin Wall, effectively holding citizens hostage for years.
From the rise of communist power to the fall of the Berlin Wall, here’s the dark truth about life in East Germany—and it's not for the faint hearted.
The End Of The Cold War
At the end of World War II, the main Allied powers—the United States, France, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union—divided Germany into two zones, the East and the West. The Soviet Union occupied East Germany and quickly turned it into a rigidly controlled communist state.
The Division Of Germany
The other three Allies shared the occupation of West Germany, where they helped rebuild the country as a capitalist democracy. The City of Berlin (which was located 200 miles inside East Germany) was also divided. Half of the city—West Berlin—was actually part of West Germany.
Fleeing To The West
Many East Germans didn’t respond well to their new communist society and crossed into West Berlin, where they either settled or found further transportation to flee elsewhere. By 1961, four million East Germans had left—which only posed a further problem for those left behind.
