322: East Germany: Life Behind the Iron Curtain

Published: April 17, 2023, 1 a.m.

b"The German Democratic Republic was born in the ashes of the Second World War, and described itself as a socialist \\u201cworkers\\u2019 and peasants\\u2019 state\\u201d. The country struggled for much of the latter half of the 20th century, relying on economic support and political backing from the USSR, until its dissolution in 1990. But what was life like for the average East German? In today's episode, Tom and Dominic are joined by historian Katja Hoyer as they discuss living standards, police surveillance, access to luxury goods, elections and political unrest in the now defunct East Germany.\\n\\n*The Rest Is History Live Tour 2023*:\\n\\nTom and Dominic are back on tour this autumn! See them live in London, New Zealand, and Australia!\\n\\nBuy your tickets here: restishistorypod.com\\n\\nTwitter:\\xa0\\n\\n@TheRestHistory\\n\\n@holland_tom\\n\\n@dcsandbrook\\n\\nProducer: Theo Young-Smith\\n\\nExecutive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices"