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This is What Life was Like in Communist East Germany

Tim Flight December 18, 2019 25 min

Berlin Wall - Checkpoint Charlie — A man peers over the newly-built Berlin Wall in August 1961. The Guardian

24. East Germany had lots of public parks

A child ‘enjoys’ a visit to a public park in East Berlin, 1977. East Germany Images

A rather more intentional ‘green’ policy in the GDR saw the creation of numerous public parks. These green spaces encouraged citizens to gather together and engage in communal activities. In a public park, everyone was equal except the authorities. They provided a visible expression of socialist ideals of shared property and resources. Meetings could be held there, and State-run activities for children. Parks are perhaps the most beneficial of all GDR legacies. Many can still be visited today, such as Ernst Thälmann Park in Berlin, which has a planetarium and swimming pool.

Written by

Tim Flight

I am a freelance historical and literary writer based in West Yorkshire, UK. I read for a funded PhD in English at the University of Oxford (Magdalen College) and graduated in 2016. I am a former lecturer in Medieval English Literature at Royal Holloway, University of London. My publications include peer-reviewed articles in academic publications, and pieces in mainstream magazines such as History Today and Fortean Times. For more information, please see www.drflight.co.uk