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Video: Ostalgie: Longing for the GDR?

on Friday November 6th 2009, 3:31 pm
By: Alex, Dominique, Marco & Sheena

Twenty years after the fall of the wall, many former East Germans are longing for what once was but is no more. It’s a sentiment known as Ostalgie, or nostalgia for the East.

Immediately after unification, East Germans were quick to embrace Western culture; today East German products like Vita Cola and the Trabant car are making a resurgence thanks to Ostalgie.

But is it simply a case of East Germans celebrating some elements of their past? Or is a deeper lack of identification with Western values at the heart of this sentiment?

Sheena Rossiter has more

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  • sutherle
    I often write about issues of identity within Canada. I never really thought about East Germany having issues of identity but I totally understand why there might be a longing to claim a certain identity and embrace elements of the past in order to create a Eastern identity. I think its great to explore the cultural impact of the fall of the wall and the influence on the German population's sense of belonging and how it might be different for people from East as opposed to West and how those influences are still very prevalent today, both in new and continuing ways.
  • Osianllwyd
    This is such a good example to the rest of the world - that humanity and mutual respect comes before political differences. This shows just how far German society has progressed.
  • Jason Bennetto
    I really enjoyed the video - excellent production and commentary. It gave a me a great glimpse into what's going on in former East Germany.
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