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worthless East German Marks being burned after reunification Die Wende marked the beginning of the German reunification process between East Germany and West Germany, following the East German revolution and the Fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989, which was concluded on 3 October 1990 when the former GDR states acceded to the Federal Republic of Germany, which grew about 25%, and from 11 to 16 states. In hindsight, the German word Wende (meaning "change", "turning point") then took on a new meaning; Seit der Wende; "since reunification" or "since the Wall fell"; or "since the change". This period is marked by West German aid to East Germany, a total reaching an estimated $775 billion over 10 years. This burden greatly diminished much of the initial enthusiasm the Westerners felt for the prospect of reunification. This "turning point" has marked the reunification of Germany, reuniting countless families and friends and opening Germany to a new era of fortune and peace. Die Wende has become synonymous with the fall of the Wall, the Iron Curtain and that of the Eastern Bloc. Ostalgie is a German term referring to nostalgia for life in the former East Germany. It is a portmanteau of the German words Ost (east) and Nostalgie (nostalgia).
East German Trabant ' Satellite ' ( inspired by Soviet Sputnik ) now a collectors item The Trabant is an automobile formerly produced by East German auto maker VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau in Zwickau, Saxony. It was the most common vehicle in East Germany, and was also exported to countries both inside and outside the communist bloc. It had a two stroke engine. There were waiting lists for years to get one in East Germany . The Trabant 500 was produced from 1957-1963 . The Trabant 601 was produced from 1963 to 1989. The last Trabant was made in 1991 .Fenders and doors were made of Duroplast. In the early 1990s it was possible to buy a Trabant for as little as a few marks, and many were given away. Later, as they became collectors' items, prices recovered, but they remain very cheap cars. Green Trabants are especially popular as they are said to bring good luck.
early 60s Trabant tv commercial |
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