Stasi State or Socialist Paradise?: The German Democratic Republic and What Became of It

by Bruni de la Motte

Much has been written about how awful the German Democratic Republic supposedly was: a people imprisoned by a wall and subjugated by an omnipresent Stasi security apparatus.

Such description are based largely on prejudice, ignorance, and willful animosity. This book is an attempt to provide a more balanced evaluation and to examine GDR-style socialism in terms of what we can learn from it. The authors, while not ignoring the real deficiencies of GDR society, emphasize the many aspects that were positive, and demonstrate that alternative ways of organizing society are possible.

This volume is an updated and much expanded edition of their booklet first published in 2009. The authors have added more detail on how the GDR came into being as a separate state, and about how society functioned and what values determined the every-day life of its citizens.

There is also a whole new section on what happened in the aftermath of unification, particularly to the economy. While unification brought East Germans access to a more affluent society, freedom to travel throughout the world and the end to an over-centralised political system, it also brought with it unemployment, social breakdown and loss of hope, particular in the once thriving rural areas.

Genres: History, Politics, Nonfiction, Germany, European History, Espionage, Historical

184 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2015

Reviews

[Rob M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Written with frankness and genuine passion by a citizen of the former GDR, it tells the unvarnished truth about half a nation othat tried and ultimately failed to build a sort of paradise in the ruins of fascism.

This study is an essential lesson in materialism that will broaden the perspective of both liberals and bedroom revolutionaries alike, whether they view of the GDR as a dystopia (it wasn't) or "not real socialism" (it was). Especially vital is the light it shines on the economic and social crimes committed by West Germany during reunification in its haste to assimilate the territory and wipe the GDR's achievements out of history.

[Carlos Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable and pleasingly balanced description of life in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) that manages to break free of Cold War propaganda and provide meaningful insight. Definitely worth a read.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most emphatic refutation of decades of western/capitalist propaganda against the German Democratic Republic I have read. While the book might have emphasized the good aspects of the GDR, it does a really good job of contextualizing the slander against the socialist state when it comes to the Stasi (only 2 percent of GDR citizens were involved in it -- hello NSA), the restrictions on the bourgeois notion of "freedom" (you can elect a bourgeois party every few years in West Germany!!), and also the alleged lack of access to information (GDR citizens had a radio station that played western music all day on Saturdays, for example, which was called DT64). Far from being monolithic, it is a complete absurdity to tell the history of this country solely from the POV of the "resistance" since its founding.

The last section of the book, which deals with the Treuhandanstalt and the assault on the dignity of former GDR citizens is perhaps the most moving. I never knew, for example, that West Germany reduced pensions for holocaust survivors following "unification" (it was an Eroberung in German terms), or the fact that West Germany more harshly punished GDR functionaries or people who were affiliated with the party than they did nazis and nazi sympathizers. Anti-fascists, those who actively combated the nazis, were quite literally punished.

The anti-fascist conception/founding principles/ethos of the German Democratic Republic was turned on its head by the Bundesrepublik in a series of show trials of the Politbüro and other associated judges, functionaries, and other various government figures. Jewish intellectuals, for example, who had spent their entire lives fighting fascism were in a ridiculous perversion of justice branded fascists themselves in the mass purges of the intelligentsia which followed the collapse of the GDR.

The book also unmasks the crimes of the Treuhandanstalt for what they were; this was never a "unification," it was colonization, privatization, and ultimately a conquering of a population that never wanted western-style capitalist vulture capitalism in the first place but rather modest reforms according to 86% of the population.

Perhaps the most egregious bit of information was relating to the confiscation of land from the communal owners of property in the GDR without reimbursement. People were kicked out of their homes and their properties were given to people (sometimes not even German-speaking) who had no claim to the claims or whose property was originally expropriated by East Germany owing to the Nazi allegiances of its prior owners or being of the juncker class. These "original owners" had already been compensated for their losses by West Germany. Only 3% were actual "owners" of the property/land.

In reality, anti-communism is the thread that ties this all together, from Bismarck, to Hitler, to Adenauer, to Kohl, to Merkel. The Bundesrepublik, now Germany, has shown in deed and in action that it values the protection of property and profit über alles. Really can't recommend this book enough for a dose of reality which debunks the myth of the "twin authoritarianisms" of the 20th century in Germany. The truth is: one Germany was antifascist in its conception, the other? 90 of the 170 leading lawyers and judges in the West German Justice Ministry had been members of the Nazi Party. You decide.

[Zach Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

As is to be expected, what you've been taught about the Berlin Wall, the GDR, and the FRG is a lie. I suppose the West (the US and its allies) had no choice but to launch a brutal propaganda campaign to demonize the GDR, considering that its deflection was from having fully integrated Nazis back into positions of power throughout west Germany whereas in the east a fully-fledged denazification program, among other things, successfully restored Jewish communists into social, political, and cultural life. In essence, west Germany was truly a "third Reich" that, through programs like the Marshall Plan, was resuscitated by Western capital in the resurgent war against communism. There's no doubt when you line up the metrics - employment, womens' rights, housing, medicine, arts, education - that the GDR was a success, and de la Motte does a great job placing the entirety of the state into its historical/material context. The looting of the state and the robbing of its people in the aftermath of unification runs in parallel to Yeltsin and co. looting Russia in the aftermath of the dissolution of the USSR, and again, the documentation of the proceedings is damning.

It will never not be remarkable to me how disinterested in (or perhaps more accurately, opposed to) denazification the Western imperialist countries were (and are). There's a reason the Berlin Wall was originally called the "anti-fascist protection rampart" - it was a dividing line between two states who had diametrically opposed visions for restructuring society on the ashes of Hitler's Nazi state.

[Alfonso Parada · Rating 5 out of 5]

fuck west germany

[Tadici · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent overview over the DDR that paints an actually balanced picture of it with its successes and its shortcomings.

Having grown up in what used to be West Germany I obviously had a incredibly one-sided view thrust upon me in school and actually any time the DDR was talked about at all in my life. This really is a great starting point to learn more about it.

P.S.: The book goes also into the eventual integration of the DDR into the FRG and, as always, reading about capitalist restoration is absolutely tragic. Fuck the CDU all the way to hell.

[Aaron Watling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much like my understanding of British Rail prior to reading Wolmar, my knowledge of the DDR was surface level and based mostly on anecdotes. I’d heard good things about this book from comrades and it didn’t disappoint. It is really informative and its vital for any socialist to read. Furthermore, anyone who wishes to wax lyrical about “misery beyond the Wall” etc should be forced to sit down and read this.

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

very informative and a pleasure to read. really highlights the positive things the gdr did for its people from housing, education, culture to health care. as someone living in western europe it really showed me again what's possible when a government focusses on its citizens wellbeing. the information about frg and how nazi's were left unpunished and could even rejoin the government was really informative.

wish it wouldve gotten more into the reasons why the party was disconnected from the people to take some lessons from it. would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about society in the gdr.

[Olive Rickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s good enough, well researched and very thorough but is useful as a sociological text... less so as a political analysis of East Germany. It makes no attempt to draw links between the political and social struggle following WW2 and the significant gains made in the GDR but also how limitations were engendered by its political system. It tends to see limitations as unrelated anomalies rather than organic to the DDR. Overall it’s not a hugely inspiring text but a great resource for information on life in East Germany which cuts through capitalist propaganda.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent short counter-history to the anticommunist propaganda that serves for the hegemonic narrative about the GDR in the West. The GDR certainly had plenty of flaws, it needed major changes, but more importantly than that it represented a genuine societal advance, allowing for the free development of its citizens. On workers' rights and housing alone, the lifestyle of the average East German worker looks pretty incredible in light of today's era of neofeudal precarity.

[Niall · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good and interesting read. Well worth it. I learned a lot about the GDR that I was unaware of and have come away with an even more positive view of that state than i had previously. I have, as well, come to hate West Germany and the modern state more than ever before.

It's a sad book, like most books of its type. While it shows a vision of an alternative world, it is also a history of how it came to an end. One of my criticisms of the book would be that it doesn't adequately address the internal reasons for the GDRs collapse. It points out issues and admits flaws but seems unwilling to properly delve into the systemic problems that were present in the GDR, choosing instead to simply state that they existed.

I would have also preferred if there had been more citations and sources. Often, the authors would claim something had been one way or the other and then not cite their source. Its not that I didn't believe their claims but rather would have liked to have had a source for them, not only for my own rhetorical uses but also as a point of further research. The lack of adequate citations threatens the quality of a lot of the arguments the authors make, as you simply have to take their words for it.

Nevertheless, its a great book that does a good job at sweeping away many of the lies and misconceptions that exist about the GDR and what life was like there. It notably criticises those who would have you believe that the GDR ad nazi germnay were one and the same, that they were two sides of the same "totalitarian" coin. In fact, the book does a good job in proving that in reality, West Germany had more of a connection to the nazi regime and its crimes than the GDR ever had. We need more books like this.

[Joe G]

Brilliant introduction to the GDR, clear, well structured and balanced. Hard to fault 👏

[Vivek Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for everyone who has been confused by the propaganda onslaught over DDR's history.

[Javo Pacheco · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s sort of depressing to see how dirty west Germans treated the east Germans after the reunification.

[Nick Girvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mmmph! Never thought I’d have so much to unpack from a 168 page case study that avoids (almost) anything anecdotal. Because let’s be real, fellow book nerds; we want actual research.

If you know anything about the art of clever titles, Stasi State or Socialist Paradise is basically a way of telling the reader that the German Democratic Republic, or more commonly the GDR or East Germany, was simply, neither! Its conclusion somewhat sums things up nicely at the end, and the overall take is something along these lines: the GDR was a state of contradictions. A socialist project that fed, housed, and took care of its people while offering a strong sense of culture, solidarity, companionship, and the ability to forge one’s destiny. Meanwhile, it also lacked proper grassroots-decision making that allowed the party members to weigh in properly, and often time mistrusted its people due to the strenuous forces of a much richer, stronger, and more hostile western front that stretched from its very borders all the way to the USA.

But, as much as it lacked in consumer goods, privacy, and well… longevity, this book serves more to look into what it achieved without ignoring these important drawbacks. For one, it did a deep dive on essential background information around the nation’s starting point compared to the west, the side not spending 4 years of ravish between Hitler and Stalin in WWII. It uncovered how much the GDR paid in reparations to the USSR (much) compared to its west counterpart (none), how the west unrolled a new currency to further plunder the east’s starting point, how the west was entirely rebuilt by Uncle Sam, and how these material conditions lead to a brain drain (and then later a nice thick wall) in the GDR. Despite this, it highlights that what it lacked in “democracy,” it multiplied in terms of women’s rights and independence, childcare, home ownership, healthcare, and education. Moreover, this certainly didn’t shy away from the overlooked anti communist witch hunts that very much existed in the west, nor how propped-up their government was, and the influence the Bolsheviks’ victory ultimately had in the creation of much of west Europe’s social democracies (I prefer to call them welfare states. Afterall, the safety nets have to come from somewhere, right?).

Near the end, we also get a breakdown of the unfair treatment that many from the former GDR felt from the newly united Germany. Many were treated far worse than former nazis ever were, more time and money went into shunning the Stasi system (a thing that a mere 2% of the average Joe population had to deal with in the GDR. You should check out the modern U.S. incarceration rate), and by contrast, how long it took to truly represent Hitler’s war crimes. It unravels the poor-faith narrative of comparing the GDR with Nazi Germany, and how many people were indeed satisfied and even miss the former socialist state, despite many crossing that border in 1989.

I guess you could say that history is always written by winners, and it’s these works that prove that to me day in and day out. The point is, the GDR, like anything, had its issues, and many we hear about have some layer of truth (even if it’s a very thin one). But the narratives are what never fly, and seem far too convenient. The goal here isn’t to praise it on some pedestal, but to learn from it, understand its position in history, and do better with future installments of socialist projects. We all have those MAGA-fueled colleagues that run their mouths because of a PragerU article, or chose to look at only the bads, and come to a conclusion that no communist truly knows what they’re talking about, aiming to end the conversation before it even begins. Words like “freedom” with no elaboration set the stage just right and just like that, an opinion is already formed. I’d say this book may focus too much on the goods at times, but considering how much artificial brain rot is churned out about former socialist examples, I think it’s alright to overlook that. Especially, since one of the authors worked 30 years of her life in the GDR, and the other studied it extensively.

[Maitiú · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice introduction into the German Democratic Republic. Outlines well the historical development of the state and how life looked for its citizens.

Great comparison with the Federal Republic of Germany on topics from education to woman’s rights. Lots of details on the differing methods of dealing with the remnants of the Nazi regime, with the FRG taking a much softer approach and barely denazifing at all.

The annexation of the GDR into the FRG completely decimated the GDR economy and its citizens lives with unemployment skyrocketing and a sense of being a second class citizen prevalent. Lost to this citizens include not just jobs in previously state owned companies but also a range of social policies including access to abortion and worker protection.

The characterizing of the GDR as something Germans should be ashamed of, similarly to the Nazi regime, is a product of the Cold War and capitals influence in the FRG and obviously does not have any value.

8/10

[Abel Almeida · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essential book for understanding the history of the GDR and its differences with West Germany, demystifying a mountain of preconceptions that we are exposed to in our dominant Western society. It's a lot of information, based on statistics and reports, most of which publicly available and that can be fact checked. This means that the book is dense and might not always feel engaging, as there is no narrative, but results in a much more serious and accurate historical assessment than, for instance, a sensationalist book like Stasiland, which was based on highly opinionated and anecdotal stories from selected interviews.

[Kriegslok · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most books written in English about the DDR start from the premise that the country was at least deeply flawed, its decline was inevitable and there was little to cry about when it disappeared. In their book provocatively titled 'Stasi State or Socialist Paradise?' La Motte and Green attempt to go beyond the hype and propaganda which accompanied what was effectively the anschluss of the DDR by the BRD while the DDR was at its lowest. The authors accept that the DDR was hamstrung by an intransigent and moribund leadership under Honecker, and by a state which - very much to its detriment - did not, at a national level at least, listen to its people. However, rather than following the normal approach of looking for only the defects of the system the authors examine each area of society in turn and look at how it stood up to comparison elsewhere. They also look at how the value system of the DDR created a different and arguably better society in which work and leisure had a purpose and meaning beyond consumption and accumulation. Their point is often corroborated with research from the West and sources which had no reason or need to defend the 'Really Existing Socialism' of the East. The democratic deficit is studied but while at national level it is found seriously wanting at a community level an involvement by people in their community, legal issues and decision making reveals a different picture and one which suggests participation beyond rubber stamping. In some areas the DDR excelled, not least in gender rights where it was a world leader. An important thread through the book is the less than favourable conditions in which the DDR performed a miracle of resurrection. While the fledgling BRD was pumped with American money the DDR was still being stripped in reparations to the USSR. When the DDR began to rebuild it did so as a sliver of a former Germany, lacking in natural resources and industry, subject to embargoes and sabotage by the West as the Cold War grew hotter and with the Soviet Union holding the country on a tight leash. Despite this the DDR rebuilt industry and farming and in so doing began to raise the standard of living for its people by ploughing back into society what it generated. Not only did the DDR rebuild industry but in certain areas excelled despite the efforts of the West to deprive it of technology. It also enthusiastically supported politically, materially and through international solidarity other people in struggle especially the fight against apartheid and solidarity with the Vietnamese liberation struggle and the people of Chile against the Pinochet regime. The DDR leadership measured success in statistics and output rather then overall happiness, criticism was taken seriously and rather then attempting to process constructive criticism it was taken as an act of subversion and to be anti-state (just look at the list of experts and intellectuals who were silenced or exiled for questioning if the Central Committee might have got things wrong or could benefit from a rethink or looking at the bigger picture). Despite this until Gorbachev washed his hands of the DDR and then proceed to give the state away like chattel there was a level of disengaged basic satisfaction with a simmering resentment at what was not possible (DDR residents were not unaware of the rest of the world, they could receive BRD television and radio broadcasts) especially freedom to travel. What the DDR was not ready for however say the authors was the onslaught from the West as the homegrown movement for political renewal of the socialist system was steam rollered by a slick and corrupt invasion of Western propaganda and money-men. La Motte and Green argue that the seduction of travel and promise of an immediate equalisation in material wealth brought most of the population who had not considered that the offer might for most be phony and secondly require the sacrifice of all the things they did value about the DDR. The section of the book which dismantles and analyses the war machine which decapitated the DDR while it was down and the blatant cynicism with which it was done is laid bare. Once again the words and work of many of those involved, including those who became disgusted with what they had become involved in provide a very different picture to that of received opinion. It is hard to conclude that the so called 'unification' was anything but and invasion, annexation and dismembering of the country. The DDR was constitutionally the work and property of all DDR citizens, their work was stolen from them, smashed up and trampled before their eyes, their lives they were told had been a lie and meant nothing, Greater Germany was the BRD and it must be embraced, and three decades later the wounds remain unhealed. I am sure many will dismiss this book as partisan - which it is - but it is partisan with a determination to uncover uncomfortable truths and say what has remained unsaid providing a voice for the vanquished. As neo-liberalism rides roughshod across the globe it is able to do so having wiped out the system which despite all its imperfections held at bay the worst ravages of capitalism in the west by forcing a degree of humanitarianism to maintain the loyalty of a working class which might otherwise rise against its rulers. Well worth a read even if you disagree with the findings and conclusions.

[Sergej Bozinovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zapravo 10/10. Ko bi rekao da su Finci svoj obrazovni sistem kopirali iz Istočne Nemačke! Koncizna knjiga ali dosta kaže. Dotiče toliko stvari da svako poglavlje može biti knjiga za sebe.

Ne mogu da kažem da sam nešto mnogo znao o ovoj državi ranije tako da je bilo fascinanto. Istorija I.N. sam uglavnom vezao za Štazi, gaslighting itd. a samo društvo je naravno bilo mnogo interesantnije i komplikovanije od jednostavne predstave koju sam imao. Vrlo humana knjiga i nekim trenucima bolna.

[Đorđe Otašević · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nevjerovatna knjiga. Vrlo jednostavno i sa preciznim podacima reflektovana slika Istočne Njemačke i njenog sistema. Ono što novorođeni kvazi liberali i kapitalisti nikada neće priznati o socijalizmu.

[Redpoet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when you thought you knew something about the GDR, it turns out you knew nothing about the GDR… Not much anyway. Good book.

[KT · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read, providing a sober and balanced assessment of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), a country built on contradictions, which was home to the Stasi, shortages and the Berlin wall, but also a country of full employment, pioneering social and women's equality, affordable housing, transport and culture and one of the best childcare systems in the world; all things that have regressed under today's unified Germany.
The book offers the view that the FDR did not really conform to its self-declared description of a socialist workers' state, but rather based on a German tradition of humanistic progressiveness, which was evidence in the GDR's cultural scene

Several lessons to learn from including:
Implementing egalitarianism including legislation enshrining gender equality and equal pay, as exemplified by average pay differentials between government ministers/office cleaner in the GDR being 1:3, whereas in the FDR they were 1:20
Comprehensive childcare that enabled freedom for women to pursue a life outside the home
The reality of the GDR's Security Service (Stasi), which was created in response to the employment of former top Nazis in Western nations including the bordering FDR
GDR's successful shifting of the Overton window as its economic and welfare rights were valued and represented an incentive for change in the West, inculding in the FDR, where much of its post-war welfare policies, trade union rights and social insurance provision were developed in direct response to what the GDR had introduced, and with the aim of countering any potential attractiveness of socialist policies

[Lee Osborne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of the most blatantly one-sided, selective and biased books I've ever read. As someone who takes an interest in Cold War history, has studied German language and culture, and travelled in the former East Germany, I think it's safe to say this book is written by authors with an agenda, and that agenda is to gloss over as much as possible of East Germany's rather murky past.

I have no doubt whatsoever that plenty of East Germans led happy and fulfilled lives, and it's true that the country was socially advanced and did a good job of ensuring the basic necessities of life were affordable. But...the book completely glosses over or attempts to minimise the oppression, surveillance, censorship and lack of freedom. It ignores the environmental destruction, the injustices suffered by those who had property seized or got on the wrong side of the regime, and conveniently blames the country's problems on external (usually capitalist) forces.

The chapter on the injustices suffered during reunification is a bit stronger, as is the conclusion, but the whole book indulges in gruesome whataboutery to try and prove that whatever was wrong in the East was worse in the West. In this sense it's not much better than the East's "Black Channel" propaganda broadcast.

Avoid.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. For a long time ever since first visiting Berlin and discovering it's history I was sure there was more to the GDR than the Stasi. I don't see things in black and white and sensed there must have been some good points to the GDR along with the known bad points. This book unashamedly presents the more positive aspects of the GDR giving the reader an real insight into how this society was organised.
I learnt a lot from this book and it has widened my understanding. It appears that most readers have enjoyed this book too but I've been intrigued by the few very negative reviews. They seem to suggest the book is a biased whitewash and one review even suggests it was written by 'UK lefties.' This intrigues me because the book states right at the start it is an attempt to redress the balance of the overly negative coverage so is bound to focus more on the good than the bad. Secondly, the book is co-authored by a former citizen of the GDR so one assumes she knows what we she is talking about.
The book is well written and although very factual is an easy swift read. If you have any interest in the GDR or socialism in general this is a great book.

[Graeme Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be very interesting. It comes from an admittedly biased perspective given that the authors are leftists and sympathetic to the aims of the GDR.

That said, the book is not a whitewash. The failings of the state are underlined and scrutiny is applied in relation to the role of the Stasi.

Said failings were obvious, particularly with hindsight but at the same time there were successes in terms of provisions for people around healthcare, education, equality, housing, preventing homelessness and policies for the common good.

History is most often written by the victors so it is important to learn from those who were there and how we can learn from the life and times.

GDR/East Germany is a fascination of mine and one that I will continue to read about, to learn of the lived experiences of the citizens.

[Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book should probably state its focus is mainly sociological since I went into it wanting to have a deep understanding of the historiography of the DDR’s political system and how people engaged with it. I did really enjoy it tho as a book that is focused on the sociology of the DDR and particularly more deeply understanding the role of culture and feminism in the DDR and the denunciation of the lies told against it.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read of the GDR from someone who lived there for 30+ years.

I would certainly place this over Katja Hoyers book, Beyond the Wall.

Bruni goes into detail with experience and research all the aspects of the GDR with a level of balance.

[Matthew Tackney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant book, it's unbiased and shows the progress, benefits and the disadvantages and failures of state socialism in the german democratic republic.

[Nunya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid book which tackled the facts about the DDR. Good read to debunk misinformation surrounding the state.

[MagicianME · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before reading this book I was always upset and bothered by how people completely erased DDR from any conversation about Germany after ww2 and German history, instead equating the west germany experience as the only representative one of Germany. After reading the book I now know this is the least of the injustices east germans went through after reunification at the hand of their west german brothers...

When I first started reading the book I was shocked to learn about the failure to denazify in west germany and pleasantly surprised to learn about the vibrant political life in the east as well as the active participation of communists, many returning from exile.

Today as I finish the book what stands out is the horrific robbery of property, wealth and the entire society post unification. It mirrors what I've heard about Yugoslavia but it's much quicker and on steroids haha. I was horrified to learn that factories were sold for as little as... One deutsche mark... And that thousands of people were blacklisted from any future employment, and 70+ research institutes were entirely closed... Honestly now I don't want to talk with any german leftist that keeps ignoring the existence of DDR and especially the whole blanket condemnation of Germany and German culture that is really a condemnation of the west and capitalism...