What was it like living in West Berlin?
What was it like living in West Berlin?
Life in West-Berlin was – mostly – not much different from life in other West German cities (at least I think so). We had no shortages of food, clothing, technology, entertainment… I visited West Berlin a few times during the early 80’s, by flights as well as by rail.
Was there a road to West Berlin?
There were no dedicated walled-off-road corridors between West Germany and West Berlin under West German jurisdiction, and travellers needed to pass through East Germany.
What cars did they drive in East Germany?
Trabant: The East German car remains iconic
- Trabant 601 (1964) The Trabant was to the East what the VW Beetle was to the West – a vehicle for the masses.
- VW Beetle (1938)
- VW T1 (1950)
- Messerschmitt Cabin Scooter (1953)
- Mercedes 300 SL (1954)
- BMW Isetta (1955)
- Goggomobil (1955)
- Porsche 911 (1963)
Did East Germans have cars?
The cars are often referred to as “Trabbi” or “Trabi”. Produced without major changes for nearly 30 years, the Trabant became the most common automobile in East Germany. Since its manufacturer was a state monopoly, acquiring a Trabant took about ten years.
Was West Berlin communist?
Prelude to the crisis The free city of West Berlin, surrounded by the communist German Democratic Republic (East Germany), was a Cold War crucible for the United States and the Soviet Union, in which both superpowers repeatedly asserted their claims to dominance in Europe.
How people travel from West Berlin to West Germany?
They could travel by air, train, car, and ship. Travelling by air was possible from the airport of West Berlin, which used to be Tempelhof until the early 1970s and Tegel airport, which had been in operation until November 2020: This picture shows an image from Berlin ATC in the 1980s.
Why was Berlin split in half?
After World War II, defeated Germany was divided into Soviet, American, British and French zones of occupation. The city of Berlin, though technically part of the Soviet zone, was also split, with the Soviets taking the eastern part of the city.
What was life like in East Germany in the 1960s?
People had excellent healthcare facilities and free public transport. They enjoyed full employment, food and rents. Factory outputs also increased in the 1960s. Many East Germans believed that communism was fairer than capitalist West German.
Why was West Berlin so popular with young people?
Also, male residents of West Berlin were exempt from the Federal Republic’s compulsory military service; this exemption made the city a popular destination for West German young people, which resulted in a flourishing counterculture, which in turn became one of the defining features of the city.
How long was West Berlin under military occupation?
West Berlin remained under military occupation until 3 October 1990, the day of unification of East Germany, East and West Berlin with Federal Republic of Germany.
What was life like in West Berlin during the Cold War?
A wealthy city, West Berlin was noted for its distinctly cosmopolitan character, and as a centre of education, research and culture. With about two million inhabitants, West Berlin had the largest population of any city in Germany during the Cold War era.
