Princess Maria Theresia of Thurn and Taxis

What people wore

The practical Dederon smock apron

Many women in the GDR wore colorful sleeveless smock aprons made from Dederon, a robust and quick-drying synthetic polyamide fiber, for housework and in various workplaces.

Getting around

Car travel replaces rail for daily commuting

During the 1975–1999 period, Germany experienced a rapid increase in individual car ownership, which fundamentally replaced rail as the dominant mode of transport for ordinary people. By 1982, about 80% of commuting was done by private car.

At the table

Expensive luxury food in East Germany

In East Germany in 1980, specialty shops called Delikat stores sold luxury items like raspberries and asparagus at high prices, such as 17 marks for 300 grams of raspberries. These shops were mostly inaccessible to ordinary people because their prices were prohibitively expensive.

Music

East Berlin's political song festival

The Festival of Political Songs in East Berlin served as a major annual highlight from 1970 to 1990, where young people experienced international music and political connection. Tickets were scarce, and the festival provided a rare escape from everyday life with performances by artists from around the world.

Daily life

Coal heating and primitive amenities

Living conditions varied significantly; while newer prefabricated apartments often included bathrooms, many older homes required residents to heat rooms with coal stoves, which involved the physically straining task of carrying coal from cellars and disposing of ashes in winter. In some older dwellings, water connections were limited to the kitchen, and toilet facilities remained primitive.

What it cost

Food subsidies in East Germany

The East German state heavily subsidized daily necessities, spending 33 billion Mark on food subsidies in 1989 alone to keep prices low.