Description
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Nestling behind the Iron Curtain, the 16 million inhabitants of the German Democratic Republic have come to be viewed as a care-worn people forced to make do and mend with only nude swimming and a special form of pickled gherkin to enliven a very drab life. What was life really like under Socialism? Was it all Stasi repression and shortages or a Socialist paradise of full employment and social security? Take a look »behind the wall« and find out for yourself. All our exhibits are waiting to be touched, used and experienced - start the Trabi, try on the clothes and reach inside the drawers and cupboards. This companion volume to the exhibition introduces readers to life as lived under German Socialism - 66 chapters telling a scintillating yet balanced story recreated by our inhouse experts.
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Foreword 4Overview | A State Comes and Goes 8Everyday Life | A Day in the Life of Frau Müller 12Border | The Wall 14pubLic LifeSchwalbe | Retrospective Cult 20Trabi | Cardboard Comrade 22A Diary of Shortages | »No Cheese!!« 26Consumption | Under the Counter 28Consumption | Everyday Chaos 30Consumption | Sold Out 32Weekend Home | Garden Paradise 36Products | Nationally-Owned Products 38Work | The Honour of Working 40Calculator | The School Pocket Calculator »SR1« 44School | »Learn, Learn and Learn Again« 46Kindergarten | Playing, Learning and Working 50Sport | Olympics all the Year Round 54Leisure Time | Adventure Holidays on Low Budget 58Party and StateBust of Lenin | The Man of Granite 64Politics | Party and State 66Ideology | Two Plus Two Makes Five 70Printing Press | David and Goliath 74Church | »A Mighty Fortress is Our God« 76Opposition | Walking Tall 78Elections | Going Folding 82Bloc Parties | Playing at Parliament 84Mass Organizations | From the »I« to the »We« 861 Mbit Chip | Honecker's Path to Glory 88Economy | A Planned Economy Without a Plan 90Environment | Bitter News from Bitterfeld 94Agriculture | Junker Land in Farmer's Hand 96Volvo | Scandinavian Comfort 98Wandlitz | Golden Chains 100Kalashnikov | The Soldier's Bride 102Brother States | »Soviet Soldiers, We Thank You!« 104Military | The Armed Peace 106Stasi | The Impotence of the Mighty 110Interrogation | Good Cop, Bad Cop 114Prison | »Off to Bautzen!« 116Western Visitors | East Meets West 120Exit Permit | Turn Off the Lights 124Life in a tower blockOperating Manual | Congratulations! 128Living | Accommodation in the DDR 130Construction | »A Home for All« 134Storage Unit | An Elm-Wood Diamond 138Party | Celebrating Socialist Style 140Reading | Bookworms Under Censorship 144Monopoly | More than Just a Game 146Television | Watching the Class Enemy 148Tempo Peas | Tempo in the Kitchen 152Equal Rights | Let Mutti Have a Go! 154Food | A Life Between Shortage and Gluttony 158Health | Health forAll! 160The Overall | For Job and Household 162Fashion | Sibylle's Promise 164Love and Marriage | Love, Sex and a Marriage Loan 168Pittiplatsch | The TV Goblin 170Children's Books | The Imagination Knows no Bounds 172Youth | The Youthful State 174»SKR 700« | Listening to the West 176Music | Beat Music by Committee 178Coming of Age | The Path of Life 180Hand Drill | A Drill for All Seasons 182Garage | A Hobbyist's Paradise 184End and New beginningAutumn 1989 | Reunification and »Wende« 188Mural | In Praise of Communism 190Chronology 192Bibliography and Photo Credits 198
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