GDR-Guide A journey to a bygone state

Shielded from the western world by the iron curtain and subjectto surveillance from the ministry for state security, 17 million east germans lived under the control of the socialist unity party. But what was life like under real existing socialism? Was it just a story of pickles from the spree forest, free body culture and life in high-rise tower blocks? Or is the reality of socialism better cap- tured by concentrating on full employment and endless queuing?the 160 pages of this gdr guide introduce its readers to all the elements of life in a world which has long since disappeared.42 Exciting chapters written by experts from the ddr museum and including over 200 photographs and countless illustrations provide both a succinct introduction to the history of the gdr and the ideal companion to the permanent exhibition at the ddr museum.