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The East Germany portal offers an overview of the most important and newest articles on the subject of East Germany, the former Communist state officially known as the German Democratic Republic or GDR The portal contains links to a cross-section of articles from the areas of history and politics, geography and economy, art and culture, and some of the important personalities from the region.
Introduction
East Germany (German: Ostdeutschland, pronounced [ˈɔstˌdɔʏtʃlant] ⓘ), officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik, pronounced [ˈdɔʏtʃə demoˈkʁaːtɪʃə ʁepuˈbliːk] ⓘ, DDR), was a country in Central Europe that existed from its formation on 7 October 1949 until its reunification with West Germany on 3 October 1990. Until 1989, it was generally viewed as a communist state, and it described itself as a socialist "workers' and peasants' state". The economy of this country was centrally planned and state-owned. Although the GDR had to pay substantial war reparations to the Soviets, it became the most successful economy in the Eastern Bloc. Before its establishment, the country's territory was administered and occupied by Soviet forces with the autonomy of the native communists following the Berlin Declaration abolishing German sovereignty in World War II; when the Potsdam Agreement established the Soviet-occupied zone, bounded on the east by the Oder–Neisse line. It was a satellite state of the Soviet Union. The GDR was dominated by the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED), a communist party, from 1949 to 1989, before being democratized and liberalized under the impact of the Revolutions of 1989 against the communist states, helping East Germany be united with the West. Unlike West Germany, the SED did not see its state as the successor of the German Reich (1871–1945) and abolished the goal of unification in the constitution (1974). The SED-ruled GDR was often described as a Soviet satellite state; historians described it as an authoritarian regime. (Full article...) | ||||
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Selected article -
Manfred baron von Ardenne (German pronunciation: [ˈmanfʁeːt fɔn aʁˈdɛn]; 20 January 1907 – 26 May 1997) was a German researcher and applied physicist and inventor. He took out approximately 600 patents in fields including electron microscopy, medical technology, nuclear technology, plasma physics, and radio and television technology. From 1928 to 1945, he directed his private research laboratory Forschungslaboratorium für Elektronenphysik. For ten years after World War II, he worked in the Soviet Union on their atomic bomb project and was awarded a Stalin Prize. Upon his return to the then East Germany, he started another private laboratory, Forschungsinstitut Manfred von Ardenne. Von Ardenne is seen as one of the main inventors of the television. (Full article...)Geography and nature
 East German administrative divisions or Bezirke The German Democratic Republic, which consisted geographically of what is now eastern Germany, had an area of 107,771 km2 (41,610 mi2), bordering Czechoslovakia in the south, West Germany in the south and west, the Baltic Sea to the north, and Poland in the east. Much of the territory of the former East Germany lay on the North German Plain and was largely flat and agricultural apart from low morainic hills left by the ice age. However in the south the land rose to the Ore Mountains and Elbe Sandstone Mountains that formed the border with its Communist neighbour, Czechoslovakia. Administration divisions (Bezirke): Berlin – Cottbus – Dresden – Erfurt – Frankfurt (Oder) – Gera – Halle – Karl-Marx-Stadt – Leipzig – Magdeburg – Neubrandenburg – Potsdam – Rostock – Schwerin – Suhl Cities and towns: Altenburg – Apolda – Bautzen – Brandenburg/Havel – Cottbus – Dessau – Dresden – Eberswalde – Eisenach – Stalinstadt/Eisenhüttenstadt – Erfurt – Frankfurt (Oder) – Freiberg – Gera – Görlitz – Gotha – Greifswald – Halberstadt – Halle – Halle-Neustadt – Hoyerswerda – Jena – Chemnitz/Karl-Marx-Stadt – Leipzig – Magdeburg – Merseburg – Neubrandenburg – Plauen – Potsdam – Rostock – Schwedt – Schwerin – Stralsund – Suhl – Weimar – Wismar – Wittenberg – Zittau – Zwickau Rivers and canals: Elbe – Gera - Havel – Neiße – Oder – Saale – Spree – Unstrut – White Elster – Black Elster – Mittelland Canal – Werra Waterbodies: Müritz – Schweriner See – Plauer See – Kummerower See – Scharmützelsee – Werbellinsee – Großer Müggelsee – Bay of Greifswald – Oderhaff Islands: Rügen – Poel – Usedom – Hiddensee – Greifswalder Oie Mountain and hill ranges: Ore Mountains – Harz – Elbe Sandstone Mountains – Thuringian Forest – Thuringian Highland – Vogtland – Kyffhäuser – Rhön – Zittau Mountains Regions: Dresden Elbe Valley – Lusatia – Spreewald – Mecklenburg Lake District – Barnim – Fläming – Magdeburg Börde – Altmark – Saxon Switzerland – Eichsfeld History, politics and religion
 Border installations at Marienborn History: 1953 Uprising – Dacha – Four Power Agreement on Berlin – Basic Treaty, 1972 – Permanent representative – Palace of the Republic – Begrüßungsgeld GDR border: Treaty of Zgorzelec – Berlin Wall – Inner German border – Border crossings – Berlin Friedrichstraße station – Checkpoint Charlie – Marienborn border crossing – Spring-gun – Republikflucht – Mindestumtausch Die Wende: Monday demonstrations – Social Democratic Party – 1990 General Election – Treuhand – Two Plus Four Agreement – Reunification (Einigungsvertrag) – Stasi Records Agency – Ostalgie  Logo of the Socialist Unity Party (SED) Politics: State flag – National Emblem – National hymn – Constitution – Volkskammer (People's Chamber) – State Council – Council of Ministers – National Front – Socialist Unity Party – Bloc party – Christian Democratic Union – Liberal Democratic Party – Democratic Farmers' Party – National Democratic Party – Administrative divisions (Bezirke) "Mass organisations": Free German Youth – Free German Trade Union Federation – Cultural Association of the GDR – Democratic Women's League of Germany – People's Solidarity – Society for German–Soviet Friendship – Ernst Thälmann Pioneer Organisation Armed bodies: National People's Army – Border Troops – Schießbefehl – Stasi – Hauptverwaltung Aufklärung (Main Directorate for Reconnaissance) – Volkspolizei – Combat Groups – Volksmarine – Armeegeneral – Marshal – Warsaw Pact – Construction soldier Other orders: Orders, decorations, and medals of East Germany – Banner of Labour – Order of Karl Marx – National Prize of the German Democratic Republic – Scharnhorst Order – Star of People's Friendship – Blücher Order .jpg.webp) Dresden's Roman Catholic Cathedral (the Hofkirche) at night Religion: Evangelical Church in Berlin, Brandenburg and Silesian Upper Lusatia – Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg – Pomeranian Evangelical Church – Evangelical Church of the Church Province of Saxony– Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thuringia – Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Berlin – Roman Catholic Diocese of Dresden-Meissen – Roman Catholic Diocese of Erfurt – Roman Catholic Diocese of Görlitz – Roman Catholic Diocese of Magdeburg
Education, culture and sport
 Education and science: Education in East Germany – Academy of Sciences of the German Democratic Republic– Charité – Humboldt University of Berlin – Erweiterte Oberschule – Polytechnic Secondary School – Tierpark Berlin – Muttiheft Language: German – Berlinerisch – Sorbian Culture: Culture of East Germany – Classical Weimar Art: Theater am Schiffbauerdamm – Semperoper Architecture: Bauhaus World Heritage Site - Fernsehturm Berlin - Krämerbrücke - Plattenbau - Prora Music: List of classical composers – Ostrock Film: DEFA – DEFA Film Library - Kino International - List of films set in Berlin Places of interest: Dresden Castle – Sanssouci – Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm Cathedrals and churches: Berlin Cathedral – Erfurt Cathedral – Naumburg Cathedral  Museums and collections: DDR Museum - German Hygiene Museum - Memorial and Education Centre Andreasstrasse - Museum Island – Old Synagogue (Erfurt) - Pergamon Museum - Stasi Museum - Tränenpalast Sport: List of football clubs – GDR Football Association – DDR-Oberliga – FDGB-Pokal – 1. FC Union Berlin – Berliner FC Dynamo – Dynamo Dresden – FC Carl Zeiss Jena – Red Bull Arena East German people
 Erich Mielke, Head of the Stasi Politicians: Benjamin – Bergmann-Pohl – Böhme – Dertinger – Dieckmann – Fechner – Gerlach – Götting – G. Gysi – Hager – H. Hoffmann – Th. Hoffmann – E. Honecker – M. Honecker – Keßler – Krack – Krenz – de Maizière – Maleuda – Mielke – Mittag – Modrow – Neumann – Norden – Schabowski – Schalck-Golodkowski – Sindermann – Stoph – Tisch – Ulbricht – Verner – M. Wolf – Wollweber – Zaisser Opposition and resistance: Bahro – Biermann – M. Birthler – Bohley – Brüsewitz – Eppelmann – Fuchs – Führer – Gauck – Havemann – Ullmann Scientists: von Ardenne Artists, playwrights, poets, writers: Andersen Nexø – Baierl – Brecht – Busch – Esche – Hacks – Heym – Kant – H. Müller – Noll – Plenzdorf – Anna Seghers – Strittmatter – Tübke – Weigel – Chr. Wolf – Womacka Athletes: Cierpinski – Emmrich – Geyer – Hoppe – Langhammer – Laser – Recknagel – Sammer – Täve Schur – Siegl – Sparwasser – Streich – Weißflog – Witt |
General images
The following are images from various East Germany-related articles on Wikipedia.
Quick start
 Wikimedia Commons has media related to East Germany.
Wikipedia in the local dialects
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Did you know?
... that Ostalgie is a German term referring to nostalgia for aspects of the old life in East Germany?
Image of the month
 The Brandenburg Gate, symbol of division and unity between the two halves of Germany. more...
Related portals
Wanted articles
The following are wanted articles, related to East Germany, that exist on German Wikipedia, or are otherwise wanted.
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Economy and transport
 An East German Deutsche Reichsbahn express locomotive, the Class 01.5 Finance: Mindestumtausch – Forum check – East German mark – Staatsbank Cuisine: Broiler – Ketwurst – Soljanka Media: Censorship in East Germany Newspapers and magazines: Berliner Zeitung – Neues Deutschland – Junge Welt – Der Morgen – Sputnik – Mosaik – FRÖSI Radio: Rundfunk der DDR – Berliner Rundfunk – Radio DDR 1 – Radio DDR 2 – Deutschlandsender – Radio Berlin International – DT64 Television: Fernsehen der DDR – Aktuelle Kamera – Sandmännchen – Der schwarze Kanal Cinema and films: DEFA – Solo Sunny – Die Legende von Paul und Paula – Traces of Stones – Bear Ye One Another's Burden Postal: Deutsche Post of the GDR Justice: Brandenburg-Görden Prison Transport: Alexanderplatz – Karl-Marx-Allee – Barkas – Interflug – Reichsbahn – Robur – Trabant – Wartburg Economy: Genex - Industrieverband Fahrzeugbau (IFA) – Intershop – Combine – Leipzig Trade Fair – Landwirtschaftliche Produktionsgenossenschaft (LPG) – Minol – ORWO – Pentacon – Planned economy - Praktica – Comecon – VEB Robotron – Kombinat Mikroelektronik Erfurt - SDAG Wismut – Treuhand – Volkseigener Betrieb (VEB) – Public property New and expanded articles
The following are articles, related to East Germany, added in the last six months.
All articles on East Germany are here;
Articles on East German people are here.
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