Changes

[[Image:World clock.jpg‎|thumb|300px| World Clock on Alexander Platz, East Berlin.]]

[[Image:Ddr.jpg‎|thumb|200px| 40 years of the German Democratic Republic.]]

The '''German Democratic Republic''' (GDR, or in [[German]], ''Deutsche Demokratische Republik'', of DDR), also commonly referred to as East [[Germany]], was one of the two states that emerged from the division of Germany at the end of the [[Second World War]]. During the war (in 1943-1944), the [[Allies]] had agreed on dividing a defeated Germany into occupation zones, and on dividing [[Berlin]], the German capital, among the Allied Powers as well. Initially this meant the construction of three zones of occupation ([[American]], [[British]], [[Soviet]]). Later, the British and Americans sought to include the [[French]] as one of the occupying powers. The Soviet leadership agreed, but on the condition that the French occupation zone be carved out of the British and American zones.

The '''German Democratic Republic''' (GDR, or in [[German]], ''Deutsche Demokratische Republik'', or DDR), also commonly referred to as East [[Germany]], was one of the two states that emerged from the division of Germany at the end of the [[Second World War]]. During the war (in 1943-1944), the [[Allies]] had agreed on dividing a defeated Germany into occupation zones, and on dividing [[Berlin]], the German capital, among the Allied Powers as well. Initially this meant the construction of three zones of occupation ([[American]], [[British]], [[Soviet]]). Later, the British and Americans sought to include the [[French]] as one of the occupying powers. The Soviet leadership agreed, but on the condition that the French occupation zone be carved out of the British and American zones.

At the same time, protest movements in East Germany began to growth, fueled in large part by the explosive growth of the "Prayers for Peace" demonstrations help every Monday evening at the St. Nicholas Church in Leipzig. This rising protest, along with the exodus of GDR citizens to West Germany, led to pressures for liberalized travel permissions. The SED Politburo discussed such measures in early November 1989, promising to ease restrictions. However, when Gunther Schabowski, SED chief for East Berlin, read the Politburo report on East German television at 7 p.m. on November 9, 1989, he looked surprised as he read the vague language in which the party promised the border would be opened for "private trips abroad." Immediately, thousands of East Germans began to flood the border checkpoints and crossings in East Berlin, and the torrent of people opened the borders in effect, leading to joyous celebrations around the Berlin Wall. Many Germans began to destroy the Wall literally, using sledgehammers, axes and other tools to chip away at the concrete. The symbolic and then literal fall of the Berlin Wall marked an end to an important psychological barrier separating the two Germanies, leading to widespread desires for unification of East and West Germany. On July 1, 1990, an economic, monetary and social union of the two Germanies was created, preparatory to the incorporation of East Germany's six ''Länder'' into the Federal Republic on October 3, 1990, when the GDR dissolved itself and ceased to exist.[http://www.coldwar.org/articles/80s/fall_berlin_wall.asp]

At the same time, protest movements in East Germany began to growth, fueled in large part by the explosive growth of the "Prayers for Peace" demonstrations help every Monday evening at the St. Nicholas Church in Leipzig. This rising protest, along with the exodus of GDR citizens to West Germany, led to pressures for liberalized travel permissions. The SED Politburo discussed such measures in early November 1989, promising to ease restrictions. However, when Gunther Schabowski, SED chief for East Berlin, read the Politburo report on East German television at 7 p.m. on November 9, 1989, he looked surprised as he read the vague language in which the party promised the border would be opened for "private trips abroad." Immediately, thousands of East Germans began to flood the border checkpoints and crossings in East Berlin, and the torrent of people opened the borders in effect, leading to joyous celebrations around the Berlin Wall. Many Germans began to destroy the Wall literally, using sledgehammers, axes and other tools to chip away at the concrete. The symbolic and then literal fall of the Berlin Wall marked an end to an important psychological barrier separating the two Germanies, leading to widespread desires for unification of East and West Germany. On July 1, 1990, an economic, monetary and social union of the two Germanies was created, preparatory to the incorporation of East Germany's six ''Länder'' into the Federal Republic on October 3, 1990, when the GDR dissolved itself and ceased to exist.[http://www.coldwar.org/articles/80s/fall_berlin_wall.asp]

==Ostalgie==

==Ostalgie==

The end of the Cold War division of Germany and unification in 1990 inspired initial euphoria. But for many East Germans, this joy quickly turned to dismay. West Germans often acted as if they had "won" and East Germans had "lost" in unification, leading many ''Ossis'' to resent ''Wessis.'' Additionally, the dislocations associated with the end of communism, the disappearance of East Germany and German unification were hardest for East Germany, where unemployment skyrocketed and many East German professionals quickly fled for better jobs in West Germany. These and other effects of unification led many East Germans to begin to think of themselves more strongly as "East" Germans rather than simply as "Germans." This produced in many former GDR citizens a longing for certain aspects of the former East Germany, such as full employment and other perceived benefits of the GDR state, termed "Ostalgia" (''Ostalgie''), and depicted in the Wolfgang Becker film "Goodbye Lenin!"

The end of the Cold War division of Germany and unification in 1990 inspired initial euphoria. But for many East Germans, this joy quickly turned to dismay. West Germans often acted as if they had "won" and East Germans had "lost" in unification, leading many ''Ossis'' to resent ''Wessis.'' Additionally, the dislocations associated with the end of communism, the disappearance of East Germany and German unification were hardest for East Germany, where unemployment skyrocketed and many East German professionals quickly fled for better jobs in West Germany. These and other effects of unification led many East Germans to begin to think of themselves more strongly as "East" Germans rather than simply as "Germans." This produced in many former GDR citizens a longing for certain aspects of the former East Germany, such as full employment and other perceived benefits of the GDR state, termed "Ostalgia" (''Ostalgie''), and depicted in the Wolfgang Becker film "Goodbye Lenin!"