Little brother, big brother – The GDR and the Soviet Union
The end of the Second World War in 1945 meant the liberation of Germany from National Socialism by the Red Army and at the same time the establishment of Soviet domination over Eastern Europe and East Germany. Without the Soviet Union, there would have been no GDR! The GDR was important to the Soviet Union as a military outpost, as a trading partner, as part of the »socialist camp« and as a »showcase of socialism«. But it was always clear who was the little brother and who was the big brother.
Influences from the Soviet Union
Although the ideological glorification of the Soviet Union knew no bounds, the GDR was not a copy of its big brother in every detail. The songs of the Soviet pioneers were sung at school. Russian was the first and often only foreign language. Soviet films were shown in the cinema and on television and there were bookshops in the big cities selling Soviet literature. But this also brought many interesting impulses into the country. Despite all the regulations, the cultural landscape of the Soviet Union was very diverse at all times.
Consequences of perestroika and glasnost
In March 1985, with the election of Mikhail Gorbachev as Soviet party leader, the winds of change began to blow throughout the Eastern Bloc. The SED leadership saw the cornerstone of its power crumble. When the masses finally took to the streets in October 1989, the Soviet tanks remained in the barracks, unlike on 17 June 1953. This paved the way for a democratic upheaval in the GDR and ultimately for the reunification of Germany.
Below we present two special objects from the special exhibition.
Warning sign »Halt! Schiesen«
Barriers and prohibition signs in forests and fields were not uncommon in the GDR. Anyone who enjoyed going for a walk in the countryside or hunting for mushrooms would come across warning signs everywhere between Mecklenburg and the Thuringian Forest indicating restricted military areas. Some of these areas were used by GDR troops, but most of them were used by the Soviet army.
Self-written warning signs were placed where military training areas were extended by soldiers without authorisation. The population had become accustomed to the situation. Despite the martial appearance, the prohibition signs in the forest were not taken too seriously, especially if they were written incorrectly or if there was a good mushroom spot.
Suitcase of a returned Soviet soldier
The colourfully decorated suitcase from the collection of the Berlin-Karlshorst Museum stands for the longing for home. Over the years, an estimated 10 million Soviet soldiers were stationed in the GDR from 1945 to 1994. And the service was hard. The soldiers were housed in huge dormitories for up to 100 men. There was no privacy, even the mail was controlled. The food was miserable and alcohol was strictly forbidden. Conscripts were not allowed to go out. Those who were lucky were taken to the zoo or a museum in groups a few times during the two years of service. An additional burden for the conscripts was the harassment of the older cohorts towards the younger ones. Many dreamed of the day they would return home.
In their free time, they made objects that reminded them of their return home. Colourfully decorated suitcases were popular. Rafkat Latypov (born 1964 in the Urals) served in the Soviet Air Force in the GDR from 1982 to 1984. He decorated his homecoming suitcase with the coats of arms of the GDR and the Soviet Union as well as the emblem of the GSSD and a Tupolev Tu-154 of the Soviet airline Aeroflot.
The special exhibition »Little Brother, Big Brother – The GDR and the Soviet Union« was created in cooperation with the Museum Berlin-Karlshorst and can be seen from 26 October 2023 to 15 July 2024 within the permanent exhibition of the DDR Museum.
