That Was the GDR: A History of East Germany

Preview in German:

youtube.com/watch?v=tPboQULJwEg

This documentary on the history of East Germany is told from the point of view of its people, using authentic historical footage and documents. It covers cultural, economic, and political developments from the founding of the GDR in 1949, to German unification on October 3, 1990. Highlighted are: the 1953 uprising, the Prague Spring, Bitterfelder Weg, the building of the Wall, the cultural repression of the 1960', economic stagnation, Stasi activity, and the East German civic movement and popular upheavals that finally brought down the state.

Made by West German television in 1993.

Seven episodes:

Episode 1: I Was a Citizen of the GDR

Former East German citizens - from Holocaust survivors, to artists, officials,civil rights activists and ordinary people - talk about their personal feelings, experiences, and attitudes toward the GDR.

Episode 2: From "Zone" to State

Events that led up to the construction of the Berlin Wall on August 13, 1961 and the final division of the two German states.

Episode 3: From Economic Plan to Economic Collapse

The development of the GDR's plannet economy, from its beginning to its failure.

Episode 4: For the People's Welfare

"Unity of economic and social policy," the program of the SED (Socialist Unity Party), became the trademark of the Honecker era.

Episode 5: Intellect and Power

The history of literature and art in the GDR was punctuated by State repression; such breaks reveal contestation between intellectuals and state power in the GDR.

Episode 6: Shield and Sword

From its founding in 1950, the Ministry for State Security and its political secret police (the Stasi) were the central instruments of domination; this "shield and sword of the Party," was seen as a defense against external and internal enemies.

Episode 7: We Are the People

This was the chant of the thousands of protestors in the streets of Leipzig and other East German cities in the fall of 1989.

Number of files: 7
Size: 2 GB
Run time: 6 hours
Audio codec: mp3, 64 kbps, 44 kHz, mono, cbr
Video codec: xvid, 768 kbps, 640x480, 30 fps
Source: DVD (4:3, NTSC)