On 9 November 1989, East Berlin’s isolation from the West ended when the Berlin Wall came down. Although East and West have been reunited for almost 3 decades, some 'ostalgia' from this period has been preserved. Visitors to Berlin can embark on a Trabant safari, spend the night in an East-Berlin hotel and sample an old-fashioned DDR meal in a local restaurant.
It is 1949 and for 4 years Germany has been divided into Allied occupation zones including the capital Berlin, which lies in the middle of the Soviet zone. The Soviet Union has decided to create the Communist German Democratic Republic (DDR or East Germany) in its zone, with major consequences. Between 1949 and 1961, around 2.5 million people flee East Germany (and East Berlin) via the poorly guarded border. The economy suffers greatly and there is a shortage of goods as people from West Berlin flock across the border to stock up on cheap products in the East. On 12 August 1961, the DDR decides to solve this problem by building a wall dividing the city. On 6 November that same year the Berlin Wall is completed, creating a physical barrier between the East and West.
“Jägerschnitzels, hamburgers and sausages: typical DDR dishes”
“Watch the movie ‘Good Bye Lenin!’ about life in the DDR”