By Stefan Sasse
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| National Flag of the German Democratic Republic from 1955 |
The GDR is passé for 20 years, which is half the time it has ever existed. In the public Awareness, however it is still highly topical - mainly as a negative film in the German historical consciousness . The topic is highly sensitive, with DDR comparisons can sit in the media discourse just as quickly into hot water as with Nazi comparisons, which have noted the parliamentary candidate of the left in North Rhine-Westphalia, most recently in 2010, the campaign. Although the GDR is still so present in the public consciousness, is real knowledge about them, about their system and the reasons on which they failed, in favor of a strong narrative from our own positive embossed film is not often used. This problem will become a little to be addressed.
From the beginning, the GDR was an unpopular child. The Soviet Union, whose grace she was born, would be an all-German solution have been much better - they finally had a small part of Germany's total area, and also proportional underdeveloped at that. A neutralized Germany, the best one could be directed to the high reparations had her much better fit into the concept as a German two states, which under the circumstances favored the West. However, there was in the years 1945-1949, that a lasting cooperation of the occupying powers was not possible. The winning contracts, however, saw an overall responsibility for Germany before, so that only an all-German solution was reached by consensus. Such was cold but from 1946/47 with the onset of war (see here and here ) less likely. The Soviet authorities had already made since May 1945 in their zone of occupation clearly radical fait accompli, as it did the often contradictory active Western Powers: Parties were approved and pushed quickly toward an "anti-fascist alliance, great expropriations of the Junker class (primarily east of the Elbe , noble landowners) carried out and dispossessed and initial operations of industrialists, after reading the Marxist-Leninist Most responsible for Hitler's rise.
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| logo of SED |
The most important step was präjudiszierende was the unification of the KPD and the SPD to the SED (Socialist Unity Party of Germany) in 1946. The KPD had previously by the return of many exiles from communist Russia, such as Walter Ulbricht once again been heavily impaired moscow direction of the 1920s and 1930s. The idea of a union of the two working parties had in the communist social democratic milieu at that time as many supporters, but one felt that a cooperation between the two parties would have left Hitler's 1933 seizure of power prevented it. Accordingly, many sympathies were for the lost war and the shared experience of persecution by the Nazis also available. An offer of the SPD rejected the Communist Party but 1945 still on, in the course of 1946, then laid them, the association for the SED through under its auspices: the new party should occupy all items equally (which is privileged, the much smaller Communist clearly) and to Congress should regulate the working people, the creation and formation of a German administration of the Soviet occupation zone, together with the also founded the CDU and LDP and some new, Communist-dominated Mass organizations, a united front against "fascist" tendencies are. The old dream of many linker was so over-achieved, at least on paper, but were nominally integrated into, even the Civil United Front, an alliance that was the addition of the circle as a symbol of intelligence in the final state emblem, and graphics. True, the radiant for many beginning was soon overshadowed by the reality. The SED had on the boards but only about 20% of the vote, but had thanks to the support of the Communist-dominated mass organizations, which were also fully represented, a comfortable majority. Within the SED itself eliminated the communists leading Social Democrats almost to the official founding of the state completely. Ulbricht coined for this process, the word that "everything has to look democratic, but we must have everything in hand.
Along with these political developments also began a number of economic decisions. The Soviet Union conducted a far greater extent than dismantling the Western powers did in their zones. The war-related damage miteingerechnet, started in 1949 with the GDR only 50% of the industrial reservoirs, which had owned the zone 1936th Agriculture was also hardly efficient: indeed been expropriated land was massive ("Junker land in farmers 'hands') and a large number of new farmers have been created, but it lacked even basic equipment and fertilizer, to till the land appropriately. The expropriation and dismantling followed also hardly a rational pattern and thus is effective against the production of legal certainty. At the same time, however, the Germany policy of the Soviet Union under performed no really complete socialization efforts, but still hoped for a reunification, which could not succeed with a complete "real socialist" zone. Economically, the GDR was not fish and not meat.
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| Semperoper Dresden, 1950 |
Nevertheless, one should not characterize it from the start as a complete aberration. At a considerable proportion of the population, they had a large, at least intellectually, attraction. Politically, seemed finally to have overcome the old class conflict in the Popular Front. Thus it seemed possible to overcome the German nationalism and down against better, more peaceful times. Economically, the GDR, spoke clearly in favor of a planned economy, which had majority support at this time also in Germany and practiced in Great Britain with relative success. Many Workers and clerks saw in a declared state workers and economically much better ways than in the Weimar Republic or National Socialism coming towards him. And culturally, the GDR also promised many freer scope than the emerging ones, be prepared for U.S. mass consumption dominated Germany. Many of these hopes, however, quickly proved to be illusory. The first victim was the vision of an economically successful and more egalitarian socialist state.
from the rejection of the Stalin notes in 1952, had proposed in which the Kremlin rulers of the Western powers for reunification and neutralization of Germany (And argue over whose Ernsthaftigkeitsgrad today historian) posted the East German government decided a course Sovietization. Free enterprise should be made available to the killing off as much economic substance in state owned and so "people's property" to be transferred. However, this should be achieved mainly by pressure, such as by increasing the charges, prescribed by law was a direct expropriation (yet) taken. While could reap the Federal Republic in the west since 1950 the fruits of the Korean boom and enter their "economic miracle" (see here ), East Germany lacked an appropriate counterpart. A particular problem was still the provision of housing - The war-related damage was far from repaired, and the construction of new homes took a long slow, if only because had the economic priorities in building a heavy industry and the supply of finished goods for the needs shall the Soviet Union
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| Soviet tanks in Leipzig, 17 June 1953 |
The East German government had therefore decided to public appeal of a pilot project: At the Berlin boulevard "Stalin Allee" to be built new housing for workers, a higher living standard than anything offered what workers (and should be trumped a few years later by the standards of the West) until now inhabited. The workers who built these homes were given special diets and supplements and have been pampered. When the regime on 28 May 1953, an increase of labor standards by 10.3% - meaning a pay cut - and decided not to protest withdrew, was hit hard by the fact it that of all the workers went on strike on these sites as the first and 16 June its work laid down. The calls for a strike were broadcast on the West Berlin RIAS transmitter at breakneck speed and inflamed overnight, the whole Country. On 17 June, thousands were on strike and protested
The revolt itself was doomed from the start to fail. The Soviet "brothers" rolled him down with tanks and troops. The political implications were much greater. Only four years after the founding of the State of the GDR had the 17 June its bankruptcy declaration is made. It was the alleged support of the state, the workers were, who had started the uprising (the curse, the government said the work of foreign agents). Only the might of Soviet tanks, the SED regime was on this day in the saddle, and the realities of the Cold War prevented serious chance of change. For Walter Ulbricht, this day, despite all the rescue: in Moscow the decision had already fallen for his replacement, now for reasons of prestige could not be performed. Ulbricht was instead up to the early 1970s in office. Having had to leave in the past four years, numerous citizens, the country was the 17th June for many for the initial spark of their flight. The GDR began to fall apart.
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| Stasi arms |
order to stop this highly dangerous process that drove the regime a two-pronged strategy: first, the Ministry for State Security (Stasi) was significantly strengthened, available now, such as the riots of the 17th should nip in the bud in June and set up a network of surveillance. From 1954 the inner-German border with the "death zone" has been secured, even mined in 1961. "Unreliable" residents were forcibly relocated inland. On the other hand, the SED was the economic demands of the striking workers for the most part and thus defused the immediate cause of the riots. Still had to turn the hope that the economic situation soon and thus be able to reassure the population permanently. The mass exodus, however, vulnerable this economic stabilization as much as the forced exports to the rest of the Eastern bloc, especially the Soviet Union, and the inefficient command economy. This was not given to even the least able to provide for effective economic governance. The problem was not so much in the nature of the planned economy itself and in the specific variant, which made use of the SED. Finally, they operated on the planned economic status, which the USSR had already been in the 1930s and use was therefore the success of a fine system of planned economy, as some UK incorporated in the early 1950s or Germany in the late 1960s, hardly.
The 1960s saw three major Milestones in the future development of the GDR, only one of these three milestones in the GDR certain it yourself The first milestone was the construction of the Wall exogenous 1961st The "flight from the republic" had the still-open Berlin border zone reached a level that the GDR allmäghlich began to threaten their lifeblood. With political support from both the Soviet Union and the USA (Kennedy, Khrushchev had made it abundantly clear that he would not react to events in East Berlin, where they do not violate the contracts) was built in August 1961 because of the wall. After the uprising of the 17th June, the East declared that once again for all the world to see in a cast in concrete Monument to their bankruptcy. What was finally stopped by a state that had at its own citizens so unpopular that he had to lock this? The walls built were the same for all participants (with the exception of the East Germans themselves) stabilizing elements. The population of the GDR was, because it blocked all the roads were compelled by force to the arrangement with the state. Domestically and economically, the situation then relaxed. Even foreign policy, the construction of the wall caused a stabilization. A collapse of the GDR or any hasty action on their part to prevent this collapse, which in the tense atmosphere of the Cold War, both could easily have triggered a war were now unlikely
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| symbol of East German car industry. the Trabant (Trabi) |
The second milestone, the GDR itself in 1968 they were certain a new constitution, which they defined as "socialist state of the German nation" and thus provided a conscious break with the recent re-union beliefs. German citizenship was abolished in the GDR, now it defined itself as an independent nation with ties to the FRG. 1974, this development has been accentuated again. At the same time tried to the poor economic able to solve by a change of economic policy: the "New Economic System of planning and management of the economy," short NÖSPL was introduced and presented a somewhat stronger emphasis on entrepreneurship and participation of the workers. After initial early successes, the project was in the late 1960s but then canceled.
The failures in the economic field, the slow reaction to the new Ostpolitik of the FRG and the equally half-hearted "Sovietization" of the GDR led on 3 May 1970 to the forced resignation Ulbricht "health reasons", which succeeded Erich Honecker, who until the fateful year 1989, the fate of the GDR would lead. In 1974, a stronger focus Verfassungsreivsion was enshrined in the Soviet Union, the SED is defined as supporting the state party and socialism given more space. There was also a series of new, DDR-specific emblems created for taking this distinction between the FRG and the self-presentation as an independent, not tied to West Germany to make clear socialist nation. The most important innovation did not take place in the field of economic and social policy, the last major attempt by the East German marked, reconcile its people through economic benefits at last with the state. Under the slogan of "unity of economic and social policy" should the very low social benefits of the GDR was linked to the Produktivtätsfortschritt. The economic focus was also changed to the massive production of consumer goods, the purchasing power of the population should be significantly increased so as to finally allow a higher standard of living. To this standard of living increase was also initiated in 1971 Prefab program P2, the standardized apartments offer at low prices and redeem it with over 20 years of delay, finally, the promise to the workers should already see good housing. In the 1950s, these apartments are expected to have actually met a clear standard of living increase - in the 1970s, in which a few people came to enjoy the slow construction program was running, the default with the West already fallen behind. The government's aim of these measures people's satisfaction and thus the medium and long term to increase productivity, failed.
On the other hand, however, caused the program costs that the GDR was not able to bear. The social costs exploded during the 1970s, because the desired productivity gains could not be reached and the oil price shock of 1973, when capsized with delay, to the GDR. Since the GDR had to rely on virtually all economic fields on imports and their own export capacity was limited by boycotts of the West on strategic product areas and forced exports to the USSR, the GDR went more and more into a dependence on Western credits, the additional ideological baggage on agree with the socialist utopias already unloaded hardly "real socialist" states of the country. No later than the end of the 1970s, the GDR had finally a wrong track in an economic vicious circle: they subsidized their exports with high costs in order to earn foreign exchange with which they Imports paid for their export products. The proceeds of this trade are not sufficient to simultaneously pay the subsidies of social security benefits and living standards in East Germany itself, but - that was the lesson of 1953 - were not reduced, would not like to declare the entire state into question.
This was more significant than that of the status of the GDR as a sovereign state in the 1970s still precarious. Although, the Federal Republic in the late 1960s to abandon the Hallstein Doctrine, which said that diplomatic relations were broken off with each State, of the GDR recognized by international law. Time of its existence saw the FRG, the GDR never officially under international law, although it de facto did. The East German state, lived in constant fear of an audit, and foreign policy was its primary objective the recognition by the West and particularly West Germany. Linked to this would be the longed-for inclusion in the UN, which would bring this recognition visual expression. The proceedings of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe CSCE, which was attended by virtually alongside the U.S. and Canada, all European countries including the Soviet Union seemed that goal finally within reach. The GDR had two key objectives of the negotiations on the CSCE, which she shared with the Soviet Union: the recognition of the limits of the Eastern Bloc and thus the status quo since the second world war that the FRG had prevailed in a series of unilateral contracts under the Ostpolitik in part and which should now be institutionally secured, and a number of commercial contracts, which finally improved access to markets of the West should provide. The negotiating objective of the West, the codification of human rights was one willing to swallow it, because it attributed little practical significance.
This assessment was probably the biggest mistake that the leaders the Soviet bloc in its 45-year history of existence contributed. They kept the human rights declarations ("Basket III") for another with great intentions printed piece of paper that they could afford to ignore. In reality, so that the internal opposition in the Soviet bloc was the first time legally binding guarantees, at least theoretically in the hand to which they could assert in their dissent. This course is not completely protected them against repression, but it gave them legitimacy and de-legitimized a regime that was blessed to legitimize not just about reaching even further. For the GDR, it was easier in the future, simply auszubürgern dissidents, rather than to suppress - but what they removed from the East German stage, but only shifted the problem and once again the moral bankruptcy of the regime had become obvious (the display striking examples of this bankruptcy was widely observed expatriation of Wolf Biermann 1976). Many intellectuals were more and more distanced from the inability to reform East Germany. This reform should
disability are not read in today's context of the word "reform." The absolute majority of the East German opposition, there was no way for the reunification and the abolition of socialism in the GDR, on the contrary. The opposition was pounding rather to the redemption of all those socialist promises, 1949 in which the state founded and was the point he was guilty. The spiritual atmosphere was oppressive and repressive and the rigid ideology of a still marked in Broad Stalinist socialist realism, together with its striking workers art. Economically, the GDR was in a planned economic hole in which the authorities were not able to fulfill its duty to have nationalized entirely to micro-enterprises in the early 1970s, but the economy, which was barely capable of basic needs of their citizens to meet - that was in 1989 just 25% of households with fitted a phone line. Since the GDR by its proximity to Germany and their inability to the information flow from West to block to the east in constant competition with West Germany was where they had to practically fail necessarily (did come through the media, only a highly filtered view of the West German consumer society in the GDR), to let this legitimacy gap does not fill the long run. The GDR was able only to present itself as the Germany that had cleaned up consistent with the Nazi past, and now a guarantor of peace. But this was not enough to keep them permanently to the citizens in line.
In the 1980s these problems are institutionalized and ate more tightly. The failure of leadership was evident in the population. The shaky consensus that had been established at the Berlin Wall fell and the NÖPSL again shaken. Only in this decade, the expansion of the Stasi was to the vast authority held with thousands of informal workers, which has dug itself into the public mind - simply because it was necessary to even the necessary degree of control over their own people to . keep Since it began kriseln to the rest of the Eastern Bloc as well - most obviously in the Polish Solidarity helped develop Movement - sealed itself, the GDR with virtually complete: the one against the West, where the policy of detente entered a new ice age and the tender beginnings of a travel policy by restrictive permit issuing and drastic increase of the minimum exchange was restricted (Western visitors were forced to a minimum rate GDR to exchange currency for each day spent in the imagination rate of 1:1, a main source of foreign currency for East Germany). On the other against its own people, where the Stasi made sure that the government wrapped up in a veritable cocoon of the reality of ever more distant. And third, it sealed itself off even more with the rest of the Eastern bloc. The GDR, which had been so long economic beacon of the East degenerate, now for the stubborn and conservative remnant, refusing to even the smallest opening and liberalization attempts to join, the pulse of Poland, Czechoslovakia and then unmistakably proceeded with the coming to power of Gorbachev of the USSR .
The celebration of the 40th anniversary of the GDR in the summer of 1949, it has retrospectively as well as almost prophetic, as Gorbachev told the ARD, "Dangers await only those who do not respond to life and who by life outgoing impulses. - emanating from the company picks up momentum, and accordingly designed its policy, was unlikely to have any problems, so this is a normal phenomenon, "a quote that later from the FAZ incorrectly to the famous" Who comes too late penalty, the shorter the life. "Indeed, the East German government no longer able to to react to stimuli from the society. As described was a good deal of internal opposition was always self-dominated socialist, had less protested against the self-image of the GDR as a socialist state for much more against the specific, "real socialism" and repressive of expression and an opening get in the spirit of socialism do. It is this opposition that you might have by integration creatively and legitimacy can use, but was systematically persecuted by the SED. It is not surprising that so much the alternative-rather than socialist groups were mainly Christian groups, went out from among the final impulse to the demise of the GDR.
effect from today's perspective, the celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the GDR grotesque, seem totally unrealistic of the regime. Even many of his contemporaries it was clear that here was a world celebrates that were obsolete for over 30 years - Aesthetics and political commitment resembled more to the era of Stalinism, the GDR had never completely abandoned, rather than any enlightened or emancipatory socialist utopia. Even had traveled to the celebrations Gorbachev could feel this problem and tried the East German government to make careful attention to which the advice of the USSR, which no longer operate in the was able and willing in the political process in East Germany to intervene, but nonchalant withdrew the comment, not one paper had their own apartment, just because your neighbors do so.
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| DDR export product "Multicar" |
This was more significant than that of the status of the GDR as a sovereign state in the 1970s still precarious. Although, the Federal Republic in the late 1960s to abandon the Hallstein Doctrine, which said that diplomatic relations were broken off with each State, of the GDR recognized by international law. Time of its existence saw the FRG, the GDR never officially under international law, although it de facto did. The East German state, lived in constant fear of an audit, and foreign policy was its primary objective the recognition by the West and particularly West Germany. Linked to this would be the longed-for inclusion in the UN, which would bring this recognition visual expression. The proceedings of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe CSCE, which was attended by virtually alongside the U.S. and Canada, all European countries including the Soviet Union seemed that goal finally within reach. The GDR had two key objectives of the negotiations on the CSCE, which she shared with the Soviet Union: the recognition of the limits of the Eastern Bloc and thus the status quo since the second world war that the FRG had prevailed in a series of unilateral contracts under the Ostpolitik in part and which should now be institutionally secured, and a number of commercial contracts, which finally improved access to markets of the West should provide. The negotiating objective of the West, the codification of human rights was one willing to swallow it, because it attributed little practical significance.
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| signing of the Helsinki Final Act |
disability are not read in today's context of the word "reform." The absolute majority of the East German opposition, there was no way for the reunification and the abolition of socialism in the GDR, on the contrary. The opposition was pounding rather to the redemption of all those socialist promises, 1949 in which the state founded and was the point he was guilty. The spiritual atmosphere was oppressive and repressive and the rigid ideology of a still marked in Broad Stalinist socialist realism, together with its striking workers art. Economically, the GDR was in a planned economic hole in which the authorities were not able to fulfill its duty to have nationalized entirely to micro-enterprises in the early 1970s, but the economy, which was barely capable of basic needs of their citizens to meet - that was in 1989 just 25% of households with fitted a phone line. Since the GDR by its proximity to Germany and their inability to the information flow from West to block to the east in constant competition with West Germany was where they had to practically fail necessarily (did come through the media, only a highly filtered view of the West German consumer society in the GDR), to let this legitimacy gap does not fill the long run. The GDR was able only to present itself as the Germany that had cleaned up consistent with the Nazi past, and now a guarantor of peace. But this was not enough to keep them permanently to the citizens in line.
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| army honor guard |
The celebration of the 40th anniversary of the GDR in the summer of 1949, it has retrospectively as well as almost prophetic, as Gorbachev told the ARD, "Dangers await only those who do not respond to life and who by life outgoing impulses. - emanating from the company picks up momentum, and accordingly designed its policy, was unlikely to have any problems, so this is a normal phenomenon, "a quote that later from the FAZ incorrectly to the famous" Who comes too late penalty, the shorter the life. "Indeed, the East German government no longer able to to react to stimuli from the society. As described was a good deal of internal opposition was always self-dominated socialist, had less protested against the self-image of the GDR as a socialist state for much more against the specific, "real socialism" and repressive of expression and an opening get in the spirit of socialism do. It is this opposition that you might have by integration creatively and legitimacy can use, but was systematically persecuted by the SED. It is not surprising that so much the alternative-rather than socialist groups were mainly Christian groups, went out from among the final impulse to the demise of the GDR.
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| The celebration of the 40th anniversary |
The good in part from the Evangelical Christian milieu springing, at least in this thriving milieu protest movement began in the summer of 1989 to significantly grow in strength. In October, tens of thousands took to the streets every Monday. The state authorities responded to confused, sometimes with repression, some with ignorance. When the demonstrations reached the end of October a scale that was an ignored with the best intentions, the scope of the East German leadership had narrowed effectively two options: the so-called "Chinese solution" of a military, violent repression of the protests (in Chinese because of of the massacre on Tiananmen Square, which suffocates the Chinese government's bloody protests in the summer of 1989 had), but lack the assistance of the Soviet bloc partners unforeseeable consequences had, or the widespread fulfillment of demands of the demonstrators. While getting rid of the SED party leadership still Honecker took off in a similar manner with which this Ulbricht in 1970 and was hoping to calm the situation with such personnel cosmetics, their development was taken out of the hands. With the Fall of 9 November won events such momentum that a vanguard position, taking the SED absolutely impossible to imagine today, was the order remained the only military solution - a scenario that no one would really dare.
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| reunification celebrations 1990 |
The GDR was its existence a state on request. She never managed to achieve a real stability. She accepted the majority of its population if at all only Lack of prospect of something to change the situation. Whenever it was possible - 1953, 1975 and 1989 - they sought against the unpopular government. Its existence was based on the bayonets of the Soviet occupying power, without whose support the government even army and secret police could not keep alive, this is the "peaceful revolution" of 1989 showed impressive. Which the intellectual and political life has hardened end repression of the SED saw to it that 1989/90 was no one who had the rudder can take over. should the opposition had agreed that the GDR as it was gone, but not to where to go the journey. were alternative designs for a socialist GDR does not exist. Also Western parties had no concepts, and the SPD were ideas of a federation of two states are half-baked piece of work. This situation facilitated the "friendly takeover" by the CDU under Kohl's resolute grab from the start insisted on reunification under the Basic Law § 23, that is joining the federal territory and not on the Basic Law § 146, thus creating a new state and new constitution . It is Kohl's lasting contribution, the agreement to have foreign policy quickly, decisively and carried out with a clear view of what is achievable. That he was out of political opportunism and utterly false conceptions and ideological stubbornness internal agreement in the sand, is another story and one that determines the handling of the reunified Germany today in West and East. The GDR itself, however, is irrevocably gone under, their failure obvious and no one doubted. Their political heritage has begun the PDS, today's left who has difficulty so still and the balancing act between nostalgia and critique, has between alternative design and overcome the past have not always found - just as the GDR itself
References:
Werner Abelshauser - German economic history since 1945
Ulrich Wehler - German Social History 1949-1990
Photo credits:
national flag - not available ( the public domain)
SED - Rainer Zenz (public domain)
Semperoper - Wegewitz (CC-BY-SA 3.0)
tanks - not available (CC-BY-SA 3.0)
Stasi - jgaray (CC-BY-SA 3.0)
Trabi - Jürgen Ludwig (CC-BY-SA 3.0)
Multicar - Mattes (public domain)
CSCE - Horst Forward (CC-BY-SA 3.0)
NVA - Michael Jungierek (GNU 1.2)
40 years - Klaus Franke (CC-BY-SA 3.0)
reunification - Peer Grimm (CC-BY-SA 3.0)
Multicar - Mattes (public domain)
CSCE - Horst Forward (CC-BY-SA 3.0)
NVA - Michael Jungierek (GNU 1.2)
40 years - Klaus Franke (CC-BY-SA 3.0)
reunification - Peer Grimm (CC-BY-SA 3.0)
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