The Stasi


In Communist East Berlin and the GDR, the government spied on its citizens. The East German government used a secret police force called the Stasi. They were expected to ensure that people did not engage in anything that was considered ‘Western’. It is thought that there were 190,000 agents and informants. Phoneswere bugged, letterswere read and peoplewere regularly followed.


Education


Young people were educated to be good communists. Their school textbooks were designed to support the GDR government. Teachers were expected to promote the views of the government and the Stasiwould check if theywere doing things properly. Afternoonswere often spent with the Pioneer Movement, learning how to be a ‘good socialist’.


Housing


Everyone was given somewhere to live. Large apartment blocks were built to provide a flat for every family. Unfortunately not enough housingwas built during the years of the GDR and so there was a housing shortage. The government did offer its citizens opportunities to go on vacation to houses in the countryside called Dachas.


Employment


The symbol of the GDR contained the hammer for theworkers, the compass for the academics and the ring of rye for the farmers. These jobs were considered to be important for the success of the country. Women were encouraged to work and quotas were introduced to ensure women were given jobs. In 1990, 90% ofwomen in the GDRwere employed compared to 55% inWest Germany!


Shopping


Officially there were lots of things to buy in the shops. Food was subsidised (the government paid for some of it) and priceswere kept very low. However, the reality was that the products were often sold out or still too expensive. Fresh fruit like bananas and oranges were scarce. Everyone was supposed to receive a car, but waiting lists were sometimes 11–15 years.


Buying newspapers was also difficult as the government controlled the content of the magazines and newspapers and even how many copies could be printed.Someitemslikewomen’s tights and denim jeans were banned because they were thought to encourage capitalist ideas.


Fig 17.8 Despite the food being subsidised, there was usually very little produce in the shops to buy.


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