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Mannequins in front of a GDR flag, dressed as GDR soldiers and GDR police
Image: Jens Büttner/dpa/picture allianceImage: Jens Büttner/dpa/picture alliance

East Germany (GDR)

Declared in 1949, the German Democratic Republic was a Socialist-run state in the Soviet-occupied east after World War II. Following protests in 1989, the GDR ceased to exist with the reunification of Germany in 1990.

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

People in civilian clothes leaning on and through two stretches of gray bars at an angle to each other.

Syria's secret services tactics echo Nazis, Stasi methods

Syria's secret services tactics echo Nazis, Stasi methods

The former dictatorship appears to have been shaped by Nazi war criminals who fled abroad and the East German Stasi.
PoliticsDecember 14, 2024
Birgit Fischer

Berlin Wall anniversary: East Germans who thrived after fall

Berlin Wall anniversary: East Germans who thrived after fall

After the Wall fell, these standout GDR athletes flourished on the international stage — and the medal podium.
SportsNovember 9, 202412 images
People look at artworks lined up as an open-air installation at river Spree marking the former course of the Berlin Wall

How the Berlin Wall split the city in two

How the Berlin Wall split the city in two

In 1961, Communist East Germany built a massive barrier throughout Berlin, dividing the city into east and west.
HistoryNovember 9, 202402:46 min
1. FC Magdeburg huddle up before a game

35 years after Berlin Wall, East German football struggling

35 years after Berlin Wall, East German football struggling

East Germany’s political collapse was mirrored in football, but a focus on youth brings hope for the future.
SportsNovember 7, 2024
A mural showing a Trabi car, a type popular in former East Germany, breaking through a wall. The car's numer plate has "Nov 9, 89" the date the Berlin wall fell.

The fall of the Berlin Wall, 35 years on

The fall of the Berlin Wall, 35 years on

What was it like when the Berlin Wall fell? And where can you still see remains of the frontier today?
HistoryNovember 5, 202416:24 min
Picture of the bare backs of three people sitting on the sand at a beach.

Is Germany drawing the curtain on nudism?

Is Germany drawing the curtain on nudism?

Germany is know for its liberalism toward public nudity. But nudism clubs are reporting a slump in membership.
LifestyleNovember 5, 2024
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Skip next section In the spotlight

In the spotlight

People stand with German flags in front of the Brandenburg Gate at night, in 1989

Defending the legacy of East Germany's peaceful revolution

Three decades after German reunification, the anti-immigrant AfD is on the rise. Former rights activists are outraged.
PoliticsOctober 3, 202402:49 min
Martin Schirdewan and Janine Wissler

Germany's Left Party on the brink of oblivion

The most important socialist voice in the country's political landscape is struggling for survival.
PoliticsAugust 20, 2024
The official mascot of UEFA EURO 2024 stands by the trophy

Euro 2024: The west continues to dominate German sports

Of the 10 cities hosting matches for the European Football Championship, only one is located in former East Germany.
SportsJune 6, 2024
people standing atop the Berlin Wall on December 22, 1989, holding a banner reading "Germany, united Fatherland"

Understanding how Germany and Europe ended the Cold War

A new way to present history in the classroom: A traveling exhibit illustrates the recent German and European past.
HistoryMarch 23, 2024
A man in a group of protesters holds up a protest sign, a red stop sign with the words "Stop Nazis"

East Germans take a stand against the far right

As Germany sees an ongoing wave of protests against the far right, new alliances are emerging in the east.
SocietyFebruary 2, 2024
Wolfgang Schäuble, an older man wearing rimless glasses, looking thoughtful (black and white image)

Wolfgang Schäuble: A veteran heavyweight of German politics

Wolfgang Schäuble, a politician with passion and a Protestant sense of duty, shaped German politics for half a century.
PoliticsDecember 27, 2023
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