Q: Why were there no bank robberies in East Germany? A: Because you had to wait twelve years for the getaway car. So goes the joke, poking fun at the rather astounding wait times for purchasing automobiles in the GDR. In East Germany, you basically had two choices when it came to purchasing a car: … Continue reading Driving School
At the end of World War II, Russian soldiers went on a plunderfest across eastern Germany. Think Sherman’s March to the Sea, but with dividends. Houses were stripped of their valuables, stores were looted, and machinery was taken. Much of this looting was done on a personal level—soldiers helping themselves to the contents of the … Continue reading Five Days, Five Nights
The musical comedy is not a genre anyone would associate with East Germany. It was born in Hollywood and reached its acme under Arthur Freed at MGM. Musical comedies are happy affairs, light as meringues colorful, and carefree—not qualities that immediately spring to mind when one thinks of the GDR. But DEFA made several musicals and … Continue reading Beloved White Mouse
East German Cinema Blog 