A festival of classic cars from the communist era brings out some nostalgia in eastern Germany for pre-unification days, although the abuses that occurred behind the Iron Curtain aren’t forgotten.
Tag: East Germany
A Novelist Who Finds Inspiration in Germany’s Tortured History
Jenny Erpenbeck became a writer when her childhood and her country, the German Democratic Republic, disappeared, swallowed by the materialist West.
Hans Modrow, 95, Dies; One of East Germany’s Last Communist Leaders
He became prime minister less than two weeks after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and initially sought to preserve East Germany before accepting reunification.
Werner Franke, Who Exposed East German Doping Program, Dies at 82
In the 1990s, he and his wife unearthed documentary evidence of the illicit, state-sponsored drug program that propelled the country to Olympic glory.
Dmitri Vrubel, Who Planted a Kiss on the Berlin Wall, Dies at 62
A Russian-born painter, he created a mural of the Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev smooching the East German leader Erich Honecker — and with it a tourist attraction.
The Refinery Standing Between Germany and an Oil Embargo
A Russian-owned refinery, linked to a Soviet-era pipeline, is a reminder of Germany’s past and a stumbling block to efforts to cut off Russian oil.
Piecing Together the History of Stasi Spying
Researchers undertake the massive task of recreating millions of torn-up records that the East German secret police hoped to destroy.
German Conservatives Appear to Lead in Last State Election Before National Vote
The contest in an eastern state, a stronghold of the Alternative for Germany, had been closely watched for signs of the far-right party’s appeal.
Election in East Germany Will Test the Far Right’s Power
Voting on Sunday may hint at how strong the Alternative for Germany party is in the east, and what that means for national elections in September.
Three Decades After Reunification, Germans Wonder: How United Are We?
With Germany now an established, reunified democracy, it is taking stock of what is working and what still needs work, especially as the economy continues to lag in the former East.