Life in former East Germany wasn’t all roses. We know that. That’s why the East German people fought hard to tear down the hated wall that divided East from West Germany. Yet, thirty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, some former East Germans, now living in the eastern part of reunited Germany, say that life in former East Germany wasn’t all that bad after all. As proof they cite that current unemployment in their part of the country is still nearly twice as high as in the West. Pay is still lower. None of Germany’s biggest 30 companies is based in the east, and only one in five leading political posts is held by East Germans. On top of that, low rents are gone. So are inexpensive everyday groceries, readily available free child care and social security from cradle to grave. Also gone are state-subsidized inexpensive vacations. All true.
The Downside to Life in Former East Germany
However, the people who now say that life in former East German wasn’t all that bad seem to have forgotten that life also had a dark side back then. What about the long lines consumer had to stand in to buy almost anything? Back then, people had to queue up for everything from fresh fruit and chocolate to ordinary consumer goods, such as television sets, radios, appliances and spare parts. The reason for the shortages was that East Germany exported many of its products to the West for hard cash and operated outdated and inefficient factories. That resulted in many products not being available for purchase by the average East German consumer.
Typical line in front of a butcher shop in Eberswalde, former East Germany. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 1990. www.walled-in-berlin.com
A Consequence of artificially low prices in Former East Germany
East Germany’s socialist government kept the prices for basic consumer goods and groceries artificially low to ensure that everyone could afford essential goods. But it also meant that because basic goods were not always available, consumers stocked up whenever they could. They traded items they did not need for those they did need. Sales personnel often added to shortages by quietly reserving particularly desirable items for “special” clients and placing them under – not on top of – the counter. They then had to stoop down (“buecken” in German) to fetch the item. These cleverly concealed items were jokingly referred to as Bueckware (stoop merchandise).
A Tale of Resourcefulness in Former East Germany
Relatives of mine related a not uncommon story. They lived in a small town in former East Germany and grew raspberries in the backyard each summer. The government-owned stores (HO) sold fresh fruit at affordable, preset prices. I don’t remember the exact number, but let’s say raspberries normally sold for 1.00 Mark per pound. Whenever the HO did not have much fruit for sale but wanted to fill their shelves, they gladly paid the locals 3.00 Marks per pound for their berries. That was a good deal for my kin, but they could improve their lot even further by selling the berries to the store through the back door for 3.00 Marks per pound and buying them back at the front door for 1.00 Mark per pound. They now had the raspberries back and made a 2.00 Mark profit.
Is Life in East Germany Better or Worse since Reunification?
So, to the people who are disenchanted with their lot in reunited Germany, I want to say, “Don’t forget, life in former East Germany wasn’t all milk and honey either. Yes, life in reunited Germany has its problems, but so did life in former East Germany. Do you really want to deal with the Stasi, the travel ban, the lack of freedom and the shortages again? Wouldn’t it make more sense to work hard on fixing current problems?”
For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic and current events, people, places and food.
Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.
