Great video, very informative. I've always been fascinated by East Germany. I remember when I was 16, watching the skater Katarina Witt, at the winter Sarajevo 1984 Olympics. She won gold for East Germany in what was an epic moment in skating history. She was, at the time, the best in the world. And she's still around giving interviews, signing autographs. She said in an interview that skating is very expensive; her family could not afford it and that she would've never made it if it hadn't been for the system in East Germany which made it possible.
Thanks for sharing that memory. I'll be uploading a video next week about those 1984 Sarajevo Olympics, so I would be interested in getting your opinion on it when it comes out. About the East German social system, statements like that from Witt are so commonplace in the old GDR. People definitely tend to miss the access to sports, culture, art, etc. that wasn't restricted to them based on the ability to pay significant sums as it often is today.
@@RevolutionaryRoads1984 I lived during the Cold War years from the 70s onward and I remember that while there was a lot of animosity towards the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries, there was also a lot of respect. East Germany was the most advanced of all Soviet Bloc countries and there was always this fear and respect for East Germany. When the East German Olympic team was introduced it was always with respect and talk about how great these athletes were. Katarina Witt became the stuff of legend back then. Every young female skater in the world wanted to be Katarina. And then on the dark side was the story of the Stasi and how feared it was. Once, the wall separating East and West Germany collapsed and by extension East German socialist republic, the respect was gone literally overnight. And I think more important than socialism or whatever, what the East Germans really lost was respect. Just my observation from abroad. I think in life it's always great to be liked, but if this is not possible at least be respected.
I remember being at the Marx and Engels statue in Berlin last year! I also noticed how Germany is much more political than the US, and its politics is broader in the political spectrum than America's right-dominated spectrum; I saw all sorts of anti-fascist and progressive graffiti, more in my two week trip to Germany than in my many years of being in America.
About socialism : Born in 1963 and having lived in Berlin , I can only tell you that it is only a good thing in theory. It all sounds so fair and reasonable. In reality everything was falling apart and West Germany had a much higher living standard. In my opinion the reason why socialism doesn´t work is the egoism of people. You will work for yourself and the ones you love, that is your pardner, family, children. You are not willing to share with people that you don´t even know. Apart from the murals and mosaics there are a lot of other cultural things, that are quite nice, like the music ( for example the old anthem "Auferstanden aus Ruinen")-
Thanks for watching and for commenting! I was born in Heidelberg, West Germany in 1984 and lived in West Berlin between 1986 and 1993 (of course, from 1990 it was no longer West Berlin) due to my father's job working for the U.S. armed forces. I have memories of crossing the wall as a young child and seeing much of East Berlin, which I will likely share in future videos. I think there are many important points to address about the wealth disparities - then and now - between east and west. It's important to recognise that the Soviets never wanted Germany's division, with Stalin adhering for months after the creation of the FRG in May 1945 to the idea that Germany must be a neutral buffer between the western countries and the USSR. Ulbricht and Pieck were pleading with him to set up a mini socialist Germany, but Stalin persisted for quite a while before giving in. The west was always much more industrialised even before the division, whereas the east had mostly rather poor farmland. In terms of resources it possessed brown coal, but that was about it. The GDR paid reparations to the USSR, while the FRG economy benefited tremendously from the Marshall Plan aid that it was receiving from the U.S. The economic miracle would not have been possible otherwise. There's also the small matter of the Hallstein Doctrine, which was effectively an embargo against the GDR that made trade or diplomatic relations with the little Germany very difficult. This definitely sabotaged East Germany's economic development. This isn't to ignore or downplay the very real shortcomings and serious problems in the GDR, many of which were homegrown, but I think some context is always needed - just as I think it's important to recognise that 34 years after Germany's reunification, the east still remains much poorer, and the notion of two Germanys really still persists.
there are a number of important factors to take into consideration: 1. Before the war, the Western part of Germany was historically far more economically developed than the Eastern part to begin with - it was more industrialised, and most of the nations capital, infastructure, and natural resources were located there; 2. The West was HEAVILY subsidized by the Western powers, especially the US Marshall plan. The US poured billions of dollars into quickly rebuilding it after the war, and subsidizing the lives of those in the FRG (Western Germany) 3. The West reneged on its reperations to the USSR, and the GDR paid 90% of it. So the GDR tried to rebuild after the war, while at the same time paying reperations to the USSR, while the West was not paying reperations (like it was supposed to), while getting subsidized by the US. 4. The West did not even reconize the GDR until the 70's - it openly did everything in its power to undermine the GDR: Sabotoge, theft, terrorism, bribing and brain draining high skilled workers, Forcing the GDR to spend alot on defence, encouraging West Berliners to cross into the East everyday and buy up all the subsidized food stuffs so Ossies wouldn't have access; encouraging East Berliners to live in the East, with subsidized housing, food, transport etc., while walking over to the West everyday to work for Western companies 5. pumping daily propaganda aimed at Ossies. Despite these and many other factors, life in the GDR, while lacking the flashiness of the West, provided its citizens with a stable, comfortable, life. They did not have to worry about losing their jobs, being kicked out of their homes, paying for their kids education etc. They lived rich cultural lives and had far less stress than Wessies. Very little crime or social antagonism. West Berlin was not such a great place to bring up kids in a wholesome environment.
Great video, very informative. I've always been fascinated by East Germany. I remember when I was 16, watching the skater Katarina Witt, at the winter Sarajevo 1984 Olympics. She won gold for East Germany in what was an epic moment in skating history. She was, at the time, the best in the world. And she's still around giving interviews, signing autographs. She said in an interview that skating is very expensive; her family could not afford it and that she would've never made it if it hadn't been for the system in East Germany which made it possible.
Thanks for sharing that memory. I'll be uploading a video next week about those 1984 Sarajevo Olympics, so I would be interested in getting your opinion on it when it comes out.
About the East German social system, statements like that from Witt are so commonplace in the old GDR. People definitely tend to miss the access to sports, culture, art, etc. that wasn't restricted to them based on the ability to pay significant sums as it often is today.
@@RevolutionaryRoads1984 I lived during the Cold War years from the 70s onward and I remember that while there was a lot of animosity towards the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries, there was also a lot of respect. East Germany was the most advanced of all Soviet Bloc countries and there was always this fear and respect for East Germany. When the East German Olympic team was introduced it was always with respect and talk about how great these athletes were. Katarina Witt became the stuff of legend back then. Every young female skater in the world wanted to be Katarina. And then on the dark side was the story of the Stasi and how feared it was. Once, the wall separating East and West Germany collapsed and by extension East German socialist republic, the respect was gone literally overnight. And I think more important than socialism or whatever, what the East Germans really lost was respect. Just my observation from abroad. I think in life it's always great to be liked, but if this is not possible at least be respected.
I remember being at the Marx and Engels statue in Berlin last year! I also noticed how Germany is much more political than the US, and its politics is broader in the political spectrum than America's right-dominated spectrum; I saw all sorts of anti-fascist and progressive graffiti, more in my two week trip to Germany than in my many years of being in America.
About socialism : Born in 1963 and having lived in Berlin , I can only tell you that
it is only a good thing in theory. It all sounds so fair and reasonable. In reality everything was falling apart and West Germany had a much higher living standard. In my opinion the reason why socialism doesn´t work is the egoism of people. You will work for yourself and the ones you love, that is your pardner, family, children. You are not willing to share with people that you don´t even know.
Apart from the murals and mosaics there are a lot of other cultural things, that are quite nice, like the music ( for example the old anthem "Auferstanden aus Ruinen")-
Thanks for watching and for commenting! I was born in Heidelberg, West Germany in 1984 and lived in West Berlin between 1986 and 1993 (of course, from 1990 it was no longer West Berlin) due to my father's job working for the U.S. armed forces. I have memories of crossing the wall as a young child and seeing much of East Berlin, which I will likely share in future videos.
I think there are many important points to address about the wealth disparities - then and now - between east and west.
It's important to recognise that the Soviets never wanted Germany's division, with Stalin adhering for months after the creation of the FRG in May 1945 to the idea that Germany must be a neutral buffer between the western countries and the USSR. Ulbricht and Pieck were pleading with him to set up a mini socialist Germany, but Stalin persisted for quite a while before giving in.
The west was always much more industrialised even before the division, whereas the east had mostly rather poor farmland. In terms of resources it possessed brown coal, but that was about it. The GDR paid reparations to the USSR, while the FRG economy benefited tremendously from the Marshall Plan aid that it was receiving from the U.S. The economic miracle would not have been possible otherwise. There's also the small matter of the Hallstein Doctrine, which was effectively an embargo against the GDR that made trade or diplomatic relations with the little Germany very difficult. This definitely sabotaged East Germany's economic development.
This isn't to ignore or downplay the very real shortcomings and serious problems in the GDR, many of which were homegrown, but I think some context is always needed - just as I think it's important to recognise that 34 years after Germany's reunification, the east still remains much poorer, and the notion of two Germanys really still persists.
there are a number of important factors to take into consideration: 1. Before the war, the Western part of Germany was historically far more economically developed than the Eastern part to begin with - it was more industrialised, and most of the nations capital, infastructure, and natural resources were located there; 2. The West was HEAVILY subsidized by the Western powers, especially the US Marshall plan. The US poured billions of dollars into quickly rebuilding it after the war, and subsidizing the lives of those in the FRG (Western Germany) 3. The West reneged on its reperations to the USSR, and the GDR paid 90% of it. So the GDR tried to rebuild after the war, while at the same time paying reperations to the USSR, while the West was not paying reperations (like it was supposed to), while getting subsidized by the US. 4. The West did not even reconize the GDR until the 70's - it openly did everything in its power to undermine the GDR: Sabotoge, theft, terrorism, bribing and brain draining high skilled workers, Forcing the GDR to spend alot on defence, encouraging West Berliners to cross into the East everyday and buy up all the subsidized food stuffs so Ossies wouldn't have access; encouraging East Berliners to live in the East, with subsidized housing, food, transport etc., while walking over to the West everyday to work for Western companies 5. pumping daily propaganda aimed at Ossies. Despite these and many other factors, life in the GDR, while lacking the flashiness of the West, provided its citizens with a stable, comfortable, life. They did not have to worry about losing their jobs, being kicked out of their homes, paying for their kids education etc. They lived rich cultural lives and had far less stress than Wessies. Very little crime or social antagonism. West Berlin was not such a great place to bring up kids in a wholesome environment.