East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic, was a state that existed from 1949 to 1990, when the eastern portion of Germany was part of the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War. Commonly described as a communist state in English usage, it described itself as a socialist "workers' and peasants' state." It consisted of territory that was administered and occupied by Soviet forces at the end of World War II — the Soviet occupation zone of the Potsdam Agreement, bounded on the east by the Oder–Neisse line. The Soviet zone surrounded West Berlin but did not include it; as a result, West Berlin remained outside the jurisdiction of the GDR.
A museum in Berlin on the notorious East German police fell victim to a brazen robbery just a week after thieves stole priceless artifacts from Dresden’s Green Vault. This time, the criminals also.. WorldNews - Published
German Chancellor Angela Merkel joined people lighting candles at the Berlin Wall memorial on Saturday to honor the courage of the opposition in the GDR in the autumn of 1989. (Nov. 9)
 USATODAY.com - Published
Russia slays political opponents and China's tactics would be "horrifyingly familiar" to former East Germans, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday, describing free nations as being in a..
Hans Schulze was imprisoned by the East German secret police in 1986, accused of spying. He never imagined he would voluntarily return to the Stasi prison, where he now gives guided tours.
Credit: euronews (in English) Duration: 00:20Published
German chancellor Angela Merkel, who grew up in East Germany, says history proves that barriers to freedom cannot stand.
USATODAY.com - Published Also reported by •CBS News
On November 9, 1989, surprised East Germans emerged through the first openings in the Berlin Wall, as its historic fall ushered in the end of the Eastern bloc and national reunification in Germany. On.. France 24 - Published
Immediately after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, critic Shuichi Kato wrote, “one thing crossed freely from West to East” even when the barrier blocked the traffic of people and anyone trying to.. WorldNews - Published
Life in the Communist-ruled German Democratic Republic (GDR) was simpler and sometimes could be "almost comfortable in a certain way", Chancellor Angela Merkel, who grew up in the former East, told.. Reuters - Published
BERLIN (Reuters) - Russia slays political opponents and China's tactics would be "horrifyingly familiar" to former East Germans, U.S. Secretary of... WorldNews - Published Also reported by •Reuters
An escape tunnel underneath the Berlin Wall has been opened to the public for the first time amid celebrations of the 30-year anniversary of the opening of East Germany's border. (Nov. 7)
 USATODAY.com - Published
As Germany marks the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Hans Modrow, the last prime minister of East Germany, explains his vision and justifies his actions in an interview with FRANCE 24. France 24 - Published
Thirty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall triggered the events leading to German reunification, Chancellor Angela Merkel said her erstwhile countrymen were still too shy at pushing for career.. Reuters - Published
In November 1983, two Dynamo Berlin footballers risked their lives as they fled to the West and left their whole lives behind in East Germany. This is their story. BBC News - Published
More than four decades after Carmen Rohrbach tried to swim her way out of then-Communist East Germany, she has no regrets, despite getting caught and being sent to prison. Reuters - Published
The Berlin Wall, which for decades had divided not just a city but a country, and all of Europe, fell in November 1989, and history accelerated its march. Such moments test the responsibility and.. WorldNews - Published
Eight members of an alleged neo-Nazi terror cell from Chemnitz are facing trial in an East German court. The case surrounds a suspected plan to carry out "violent attacks" and launch a civil-war-like.. WorldNews - Published
A majority of Germans in the former communist East feel like second-class citizens almost three decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall even though they are catching up economically with western.. Reuters - Published
Highlights of this day in history: Hungary lets East German refugees leave for West Germany; Louisiana U.S. Senator Huey Long fatally shot; Elias Howe gets sewing machine patent; 'Gunsmoke' premieres;.. USATODAY.com - Published
Days before Angela Merkel leaves for a tricky visit to Beijing, prominent Hong Kong activists have written to the German Chancellor calling her to be guided by her memories of life in dictatorial East.. Reuters - Published
Thirty years ago on Monday Hungarian border guards for the first time allowed people from communist East Germany to cross freely into Austria and hundreds of them rejoiced. The Iron Curtain was passing.. Reuters - Published
The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has received a groundswell of support in Eastern Germany, leading in polls just weeks before regional elections in three states. Support for major.. WorldNews - Published
A man who fled East Germany to the West in 1988 will be eligible to receive compensation for trauma he experienced as a result of the escape, Germany's highest civil court ruled on Monday, Deutsche.. WorldNews - Published
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