10 objects from East Berlin – capital of the GDR
The city of Berlin played a special role during the GDR era: since the end of the war in 1945, the western part of the city had been administered by the Western Allies France, Great Britain and the USA, while the smaller eastern part of the city was administered by the Soviet occupation forces. The city became a bone of contention in the emerging Cold War and was ultimately divided for 28 years by the construction of the Berlin Wall on 13 August 1961.
After the founding of the GDR, the eastern part of Berlin took over the capital function for the GDR. This is where the cultural, political and economic centre of the country emerged. Numerous artefacts from this period can be found in our collection. We present ten of these items in more detail in this blog.
1. Leaflet »Announcement 17 June 1953«
The yellowed A4 leaflet was hastily printed on 17 June 1953 to address the explosive situation during the nationwide popular uprising, the epicentre of which was the construction site on Stalinallee in Berlin. The unrest of 17 June is attributed to provocations by »fascist and other reactionary elements in West Berlin« whose aim was to hinder German unity. The document is signed by Otto Grotewohl, then Prime Minister of the GDR.
2. Bottle of »Berliner Weisse«
The tradition of beer brewing has also existed in Berlin for several hundred years. The first Berlin breweries began refining their wheat beer with woodruff herb mixtures in the mid-19th century. Later, raspberry syrup was added in addition to woodruff. The unique drink quickly became a cult favourite, but it was not until 1987 that the name »Berliner Weisse« was protected as a registered trademark of the Berlin and Brandenburg Brewers' Association. Our 330 ml bottle of Berliner Weisse dates from 1988 and was produced by the Schultheiss Brewery in Berlin Hohenschönhausen.
3. Decorative plate »Berlin, Capital of the GDR«
This decorative plate was produced in 1969 by VEB Porzellanwerk Weimar and shows the silhouette of Berlin's Alexanderplatz with the striking television tower, which opened in 1969. The apparent viewer stands here at the level of Strausberger Platz and looks towards the west. In front of the television tower, the »Haus des Lehrers« (House of Teachers), which opened in 1964, can be seen. From today's perspective, the former Hotel Stadt Berlin with its 39 floors is missing to the right of the television tower and the Haus des Lehrers. Today's Park Inn Hotel was not opened until 7 October 1970 and is therefore missing from this depiction.
4. Food ration card, April 1955
Due to the devastated economy caused by the aftermath of the Second World War, food supplies for the population had to be regulated by means of food ration cards. To this end, the population was divided into different categories:
Category I: Heavy labourers and officials
Category II: Heavy labourers
Category III: Workers
Category IV: Employees
Category V: Others (children, pensioners, NSDAP members, severely disabled persons, non-working persons)
The quantity of each product varied, with the categories with the lower numbers always receiving a larger quantity than, for example, employees or pensioners. Our food ration card from April 1955 is intended for heavy workers and entitles them to 1,800g of fat, 1,800g of sugar and 2,700g of meat for the entire month. The card was issued by the Greater Berlin Magistrate.
It was not until May 1958 that the food ration card system was abolished in the GDR, while the Federal Republic of Germany had already ended regulation through food ration cards in 1950.
5. Invitation to the opening of Berlin Central Station
Originally known as Ostbahnhof, this transport hub was opened in October 1842 as Frankfurter Bahnhof. Its name changed several times during its existence, and between 1881 and 1950 the area was known as Schlesischer Bahnhof. After the loss of Germany's eastern territories and the founding of the GDR, this name was no longer appropriate, so from 1950 onwards, the simple name »Ostbahnhof« was chosen. After the expansion and fundamental modernisation of the site in the 1980s, the station was put into operation as »Berlin Central Station« on 17 December 1987 as part of Berlin's 750th anniversary celebrations. The reunification of the divided city in 1990 also changed the flow of traffic and the categorisation of Berlin's existing stations. As a result, the former Hauptbahnhof was renamed Ostbahnhof in 1998 and has retained this name to this day.
This invitation card from our collection was issued for the grand opening of the reception building at Berlin Central Station on 15 December 1987, on the occasion of Berlin's 750th anniversary. The card contains an insert with the programme for the ceremony.
6. Radio Stern Camping R130
From 1948 onwards, electron tubes and later entire radio sets were manufactured in the Berlin district of Weißensee. The premises, which had previously been built and used by Löwe Radio AG from 1912 onwards, served as the main plant for VEB Phonetika Radio Berlin from 1950 onwards. In 1951, the company was renamed VEB Stern-Radio Berlin. From then on, numerous radio sets were produced there, including the Stern Camping R130 in a multi-coloured thermoplastic housing from 1968 onwards. As the name suggests, this small portable radio was designed for use on the go, for example on camping trips. It could also be powered by batteries. Its modern and colourful design appealed particularly to young people.
7. Centrum Warenhaus Information Brochure
As the capital of the GDR, Berlin also had a superordinate function in supplying the population with consumer goods. In contrast to the »showcase of the West« in the western part of Berlin, the centre of the eastern part in particular formed a corresponding equivalent. From 1970 onwards, Alexanderplatz was home to the Centrum Warenhaus, the largest consumer temple (with a total sales area of 15,000 square metres) in the GDR. A visit to the striking building was actually a must for every visitor to Berlin at that time. In order to meet the consumer needs of the capital's residents and the numerous tourists, a second department store was built in 1979 in the immediate vicinity of Berlin's Ostbahnhof railway station.
Our collection includes two advertising brochures from the two Berlin Centrum department stores from 1987.
8. Brochure »Careers at Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe«
With over a million inhabitants, the eastern part of Berlin was by far the most populous city in the GDR. In order to transport these masses of people through the city every day, an efficient and independent transport company was essential. To this end, the municipal transport association for the whole of Berlin (BVG), which had existed since before the war, was divided into an eastern and a western operation. From 1969 onwards, the eastern transport association operated under the name VEB Kombinat Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe, or BVB for short.
This brochure from 1987 shows a Hungarian Ikarus bus in front of a BVB tram in the foreground. In addition to trams and buses, the BVB operated several ferries and the underground railway in the Berlin city area. The brochure is intended for career guidance and presents various apprenticeship professions at the BVB.
9. Decorative cloth »Tele Café«
A visit to the television tower was the highlight for many Berliners and tourists. The 365-metre-high radio tower has a viewing platform with a bar and restaurant at a height of 206 metres. From here, visitors could enjoy a panoramic view of Berlin, as the restaurant rotated 360 degrees once an hour, allowing them to take in the entire city. At the end of the visit, visitors could purchase a decorative cloth from the Tele Café in the souvenir shop at the foot of the television tower as a souvenir. The tower and its observation deck were very popular, with over 1 million people making the pilgrimage there every year.
10. Light bulbs »Narva«
From 1950 onwards, the main manufacturer of lighting, especially incandescent bulbs, in the German Democratic Republic was VEB Glühlampenwerk Berlin in the Friedrichshain district. Before the Second World War, Osram had already been producing incandescent bulbs and lighting there. From 1963 onwards, the name »Narva« became established for lighting production. Narva is a made-up word composed of the letters of the chemical elements »N« for nitrogen, »Ar« for argon and »VA« for vacuum. The large company had its heyday in the late 1970s, when approximately 6,000 people were employed by VEB Narva Kombinat in Berlin alone. In addition to the main plant in Berlin, there were numerous other production facilities throughout the GDR. Further objects from the Narva brand can be found in our object database.
