It belongs to the Cold War era and the place reminds of communism — East Berlin, the capital city of East Germany. In this blog post, we will delve into the history of East Berlin and discuss its political landscape to answer the question: Is East Berlin communist?
The Division of Berlin
Following the Second World War, Germany was divided into four Soviet and American, British and French occupied zones. Also, Berlin was divided into four sectors, as it was also in the Soviet zone.
The Rise of East Berlin
Established in 1949, the German Democratic Republic (GDR), became a subject of the Soviet occupied zone of Germany, its capital being East Berlin. The GDR was an influence of Soviet Union with socialist political system.
The party of the Socialist Unity Party (SED)
The ruling party in East (and East Berlin as) Germany was the Socialist Unity Party (SED). It was a heavily Communist Party of the Soviet Union influenced, one party system.
The Command Economy
The running of a command economy was one of the leading aspects of communist rule during East Berlin. The government took control and organized most of the economy — from production to distribution to pricing.
Netivationalization and Collectivization
Collectivized and nationalized, agriculture and industry in East Berlin. The state took over farms and businesses, among other things, and private ownership was abolished.
The Berlin Wall
In 1961 the Berlin Wall went up, which separated East and West Berlin. The wall, was a physical barrier designed as a way to keep East Berliners from escaping to the West. It also symbolized the Cold War division between Eastern and Western ideologies, with this physical division.
Life in East Berlin
Communist ideology controlled the life in East Berlin, which also was the life with less and less personal freedoms. The United States intervened when the government controlled the media and education and cultural institutions to promote communist ideals back home.
Housing and the Standard of Living
East Berlin’s housing was mostly a state matter and assigned by criteria of need. All this was done without jeopardising basic amenities, like education and healthcare.
Secret Police (Stasi)
In East Berlin the secret police was called the Stasi, or Ministry for State Security. The Stasi watched the population, stripped away dissent and made sure people conformed to the communist regime.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
When growth protests were rocked by 1989 and a push for political reforms, Berlin Wall was ultimately opened, and Germany was reunified in this way. Communist rule in East Berlin finally fell with the Berlin Wall.
Conclusion
During the Cold War era, East Berlin stood as the seat of communist East Germany. Its economy was command, it was one party, there were personal freedoms limited, and all are under the control of the state. Yet after the 1989 breakdown of the Berlin Wall, the communist regime crumbled, and Germany was re-unified. Berlin is a symbol of a democratic united Germany today.