East Germany

The fall of the Berlin Wall not only symbolized the end of the Cold War, communism, and dictatorship in Eastern Germany, but it was also a great impact on European history. The Berlin Wall, despite its monstrous purpose, brought some positive consequences to the people of Germany. During the twenty-eight years the wall stood, many friendships and families were torn apart due to a physical separation, as well as metaphorical due to stigmas, controversies, and stereotypes. As the wall was built up…

for Germany When the West and East Germany reunited 28 years ago, the country was in sense of increased optimism. Connolly in her 2015 news article for the Guardian notes that the then reigning Chancellor Helmut Kohl promised his subjects “flourishing landscapes.” But then how has a reunified Germany faired on 28 years after the collapse of the Berlin wall? The Berlin wall was first constructed overnight on August 12, 1962, following a decision by Walter Ulbricht, the leader of the then East…

Fall of the Berlin Wall The United States’ and Soviet Union’s victory over Germany at the Elbe River, gave an image of peace to the rest of the world, as two nations combined to defeat a power that did everything it could to rise up and control the rest of the world. Unfortunately, human nature has shown, previous to World War II, that the world can’t live in peace because only one can be the best and most powerful. When Germany surrendered in the spring of 1945, the peace-making alliances that…

Communist resistance fighters had memorials dedicated to them and the whole idea of remembrance was used to discredit the Allies as a haven for Nazi sympathizers and the war as the triumph of communism over fascism. The process of denazification in the East was used as a means of nationalization. The land of Nazi sympathizers, who were often wealthy, was taken. The land was redistributed among the citizens. This process was often corrupt though since land was not split evenly among the people. …

(“Ronald Reagan: ‘Tear Down this Wall!’”) The ideas of communism may seem suitable on paper, but when enforced on an entire country, is devastating. One of these most profound examples of communism is the Berlin Wall. Communism changed the country of Germany; East Germans directly experienced the confinement of a communistic government. By the building of the Berlin Wall, there was an increase in violence and cultural unrest. Around the world, people protested the Berlin Wall. Finally, the…

1961, Germany was divided into two halves by a steady system, the Berlin Wall. The wall is not only the physical division between West Berlin and East Berlin from 1961 to 1989, but also the symbolic boundary between Democracy and Communism during the Cold War. Within a short period of time after World War II, West Germany’s life condition and economy grew rapidly with the help of Capitalism. The positive turnover of West Berlin society created a huge contrast between the two halves of Germany.…

During World War Two, Germany was mostly under the leadership of Adolf Hitler. Before Hitler received his dictatorial power, he was the leader of National Socialist (Nazi) Party and later the Chancellor of Germany. He ruled Germany through totalitarian means. Hitler promoted German pride and anti-Semitism. He also frequently expressed frustration with the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. Germany entered a period of severe economic depression and widespread unemployment in 1929 (History.com).…

Anna Funder is a text which explores how the communist regime of the former GDR has had a lasting impact on its people. Funder examines the history of Germany, noting the lingering effect that the Stasi had on its victims, as many of them were unable to recover from their past and move into the future, whilst also exploring how the fall of East Germany caused many members of the Stasi to become trapped in their memories of what once was. Funders own understanding of the the GDR and its history…

This first crisis surrounding the control of Berlin was the beginning of a sharp divide between the eastern and western way of life in the city. This divide came into full view with the forming of West Germany into one country, which became Federal Republic of Germany. Along with the melding of the western allies’ territory, the Deutsche Mark became the new Republic’s currency. With the introduction of the new currency, it became apparent that Britain, France, and the United States planned on…

Germany found herself in a state of despair in 1945 due to the economical, political and physical damage the war had caused ‘Wohin wir blicken. Ruinen, Schutt und Asche […] Die Wirtschaft ist desorganisiert und völlig gelähmt.’ In the aftermath of the war, the Soviet Union, the Western powers and those within each Allied regime had different views on the way in which Germany’s future should be shaped. This was particularly evident at the Potsdam conference, with the introduction of the…