Ostalgia - a combination of the words nostalgia and ost (East)
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Traffic light man |
Current Camera was the main newscast of the GDR (1952-90) |
The '5 Mark shoe' worn in the 70s and 80s in the GDR has made a comeback with Ostalgia
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Stimme der DDR Voice of the GDR radio program |
were in the East German comic book Mosaik |
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( New Germany ) was the offical newspaper of the SED and still exists today |
mole cartoon |
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Searching for East Germany's Communist Cuisine
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Back in the times of the GDR (German Democratic Republic), it was nearly impossible for chefs to get their hands on a lot of basic ingredients. Most meals were born out of necessity, with chefs really having to flex their creativity. GDR food was also heavily influenced by the recipes of the USSR. Our host Stacy Denzel Janmaat leads us on a journey to find what is left of the notorious GDR cuisine, 25 years after the fall of the Berlin wall. In the East-German city of Leipzig, the “Gaststätte Kollektiv” aims to recreate the GDR dining experience through its detailed interior and food. The 29-year-old owner and chef was born in Leipzig, and although he was still quite young when the wall came down, he was still able to tell us about the days of limited food availability. Back in Berlin, we go on the lookout for traditional GDR snacks. Though snack stands were rare in the GDR, the precious few outlets for fast food served mainly Ketwurst (a kind of hot dog) and Grilletta (a take on a hamburger). Fortunately, we find a spot where the traditional Ketwurst has somehow managed to survive the return of the hot dog. We then accompany our host as he goes shopping at the only remaining GDR supermarket in Berlin to buy the ingredients for a 3-course menu of Soljanka (a Russian meat stew with red peppers, cucumbers and capers), fried veal’s liver with onions and potatoes, and the GDR version of French toast. Watch as our host whips it up in his own kitchen for a dinner with friends. |
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Ostalgia Many Eastern Germans Still Mourn the
Demise of Communist East Germany
20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall,many eastern Germans still look back nostalgically
on the old communist system. About half the eastern Germans asked in a survey said the
dictatorship had more good sides than bad.The survey shows that even 20 years after the
end of the division of Germany,integrating the two sides remains difficult. We visit
the town of Artern in the eastern state of Thuringia to capture the mood on the street. U
nemployment remains high here. The local mayor is from Germany's Left Party
- the successor to East Germanys communists.
