German Democratic Republic (1949–1990): Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox country|conventional_long_name=German Democratic Republic|government_type=Federal Marxist-Leninist socialist republic (1949–1952)<br />Unitary Marxist-Leninist socialist republic (1952–1989)<br />Unitary parliamentary republic (1989–1990)|currency=East German mark|date_event1=9 November 1989|event1=Fall of Anti-Fascist Protection Wall|date_pre=8 May 1945|event_pre=Soviet liberation of Germany|event_start=Constitution adopted|event_end=Annexation by West Germany|date_end=3 October|date_start=7 October|leader_name4=Egon Krenz|leader_title4=1989|leader_name3=Erich Honecker|leader_title3=1971–1989|leader_name2=Walter Ulbricht|native_name=Deutsche Demokratische Republik|leader_title2=1950–1971|leader_name1=Wilhelm Pieck and Otto Grotewohl|leader_title1=1946–1950|population_census_year=1990|population_census=16,111,000|mode_of_production=Socialism|area_km2=108,333|official_languages=German|capital=East Berlin|englishmotto=Workers of the the world, unite!|motto=Proletarier aller Länder, vereinigt Euch!|year_end=1990|year_start=1949|name=|HDI=0.953 (1989)|drives_on=right|GDP_PPP_year=1989|GDP_PPP_per_capita=$42,004|GDP_PPP=$525.29 billion|cctld=.dd|calling_code=+37|legislature=[[Volkskammer]]|national_anthem="Auferstanden aus Ruinen"<br />"Risen from Ruins"|population_density_km2=149|today=[[Germany]]}}
{{Infobox country|conventional_long_name=German Democratic Republic|government_type=Federal Marxist-Leninist socialist republic (1949–1952)<br />Unitary Marxist-Leninist socialist republic (1952–1989)<br />Unitary parliamentary republic (1989–1990)|currency=East German mark|date_event1=9 November 1989|event1=Fall of [[Anti-Fascist Protection Rampart|Anti-Fascist Protection Wall]]|date_pre=8 May 1945|event_pre=Soviet liberation of Germany|event_start=Constitution adopted|event_end=Annexation by West Germany|date_end=3 October|date_start=7 October|leader_name4=[[Egon Krenz]]|leader_title4=1989|leader_name3=[[Erich Honecker]]|leader_title3=1971–1989|leader_name2=[[Walter Ulbricht]]|native_name=Deutsche Demokratische Republik|leader_title2=1950–1971|leader_name1=[[Wilhelm Pieck]] and [[Otto Grotewohl]]|leader_title1=1946–1950|population_census_year=1990|population_census=16,111,000|mode_of_production=Socialism|area_km2=108,333|official_languages=German|capital=East Berlin|englishmotto=Workers of the the world, unite!|motto=Proletarier aller Länder, vereinigt Euch!|year_end=1990|year_start=1949|name=|HDI=0.953 (1989)|drives_on=right|GDP_PPP_year=1989|GDP_PPP_per_capita=$42,004|GDP_PPP=$525.29 billion|cctld=.dd|calling_code=+37|legislature=[[Volkskammer]]|national_anthem="Auferstanden aus Ruinen"<br />"Risen from Ruins"|population_density_km2=149|today=[[Germany]]|image_flag=GDR flag.png}}
The '''German Democratic Republic''' (German: ''Deutsche Demokratische Republik'', '''GDR''' or '''DDR'''), sometimes referred to as '''East Germany''', was a country that existed from 1949 to 1990. In Western media it was referred to as a [[communist state]], but it described itself as a [[Socialist state|socialist]] "workers' and peasants' state".<ref>'''Chapter 1, Article 1''' of the ''1968 Constitution of the German Democratic Republic (1974 amendments) [[http://www.documentarchiv.de/ddr/verfddr.html Text (in German)]; [https://web.archive.org/web/20220318151408/http://www.documentarchiv.de/ddr/verfddr.html Archived]]''</ref>
The '''German Democratic Republic''' (German: ''Deutsche Demokratische Republik'', '''GDR''' or '''DDR'''), sometimes referred to as '''East Germany''', was a country that existed from 1949 to 1990. In Western media it was referred to as a [[communist state]], but it described itself as a [[Socialist state|socialist]] "workers' and peasants' state".<ref>'''Chapter 1, Article 1''' of the ''1968 Constitution of the German Democratic Republic (1974 amendments) [[http://www.documentarchiv.de/ddr/verfddr.html Text (in German)]; [https://web.archive.org/web/20220318151408/http://www.documentarchiv.de/ddr/verfddr.html Archived]]''</ref>


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The GDR was annexed by the Federal Republic of Germany, also known as West Germany, on 3 October 1990.
The GDR was annexed by the Federal Republic of Germany, also known as West Germany, on 3 October 1990.
== Economy ==
From 1951 to 1989, the GDR's GDP grew at an average rate of 4.5% per year, while [[Federal Republic of Germany|West Germany]]'s GDP only grew by 4.3%.<ref>{{Citation|author=Karl Mai|year=2009|title=GDR - FRG in an economic-statistical comparison 1950 to 1989 - On new results by Prof. Gerhard Heske|pdf=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613132353/http://www.memo.uni-bremen.de/docs/m3309.pdf|trans-title=DDR – BRD im ökonomisch-statistischen Vergleich 1950 bis 1989 - Zu neuen Ergebnissen von Prof. Gerhard Heske|trans-lang=German}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+Average Wages of Workers
!Year
!Monthly wage (DDM)<ref>{{Citation|author=Stephen R. Burrant|year=1987|title=East Germany: A Country Study|title-url=https://archive.org/details/eastgermanycount00bura_0/page/154/mode/2up?view=theater&q=755|chapter=The Economy|section=The Consumer in the East German Economy|page=154|publisher=United States Federal Research Division}}</ref>
|-
|1950
|311
|-
|1960
|555
|-
|1970
|755
|-
|1985
|1,130
|}
== Women's Rights ==
80% of women in the GDR between the ages of 18 and 60 were employed. By 1985, half of the university students in the country were female, doubling from a quarter in 1960.<ref>{{Citation|author=Stephen R. Burrant|year=1987|title=East Germany: A Country Study|title-url=https://archive.org/details/eastgermanycount00bura_0/page/102/mode/2up?view=theater|chapter=The Society and Its Environment|section=Women and the Democratic Women's League of Germany|page=102|publisher=United States Federal Research Division}}</ref>


==References==
==References==


<references />
<references />
[[Category:Former socialist republics]]

Revision as of 12:44, 15 April 2022

Deutsche Demokratische Republik
1949–1990
Flag of
Flag
Motto: Proletarier aller Länder, vereinigt Euch!
Workers of the the world, unite!
Anthem: "Auferstanden aus Ruinen"
"Risen from Ruins"
CapitalEast Berlin
Official languagesGerman
Dominant mode of productionSocialism
GovernmentFederal Marxist-Leninist socialist republic (1949–1952)
Unitary Marxist-Leninist socialist republic (1952–1989)
Unitary parliamentary republic (1989–1990)
• 1946–1950
Wilhelm Pieck and Otto Grotewohl
• 1950–1971
Walter Ulbricht
• 1971–1989
Erich Honecker
• 1989
Egon Krenz
LegislatureVolkskammer
History
• Soviet liberation of Germany
8 May 1945
• Constitution adopted
7 October 1949
9 November 1989
• Annexation by West Germany
3 October 1990
Area
• Total
108,333 km²
Population
• 1990 census
16,111,000
• Density
149 km²
GDP (PPP)1989 estimate
• Total
$525.29 billion
• Per capita
$42,004
HDI0.953 (1989)
CurrencyEast German mark
Driving sideright
Calling code+37
Internet TLD.dd
Today part ofGermany

The German Democratic Republic (German: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, GDR or DDR), sometimes referred to as East Germany, was a country that existed from 1949 to 1990. In Western media it was referred to as a communist state, but it described itself as a socialist "workers' and peasants' state".[1]

The GDR was formed on 7 October 1949 with the adoption of its first constitution; elections for the Constitutional Assembly were held 5 months earlier, on 15 and 16 May 1949.

The GDR was annexed by the Federal Republic of Germany, also known as West Germany, on 3 October 1990.

Economy

From 1951 to 1989, the GDR's GDP grew at an average rate of 4.5% per year, while West Germany's GDP only grew by 4.3%.[2]

Average Wages of Workers
Year Monthly wage (DDM)[3]
1950 311
1960 555
1970 755
1985 1,130

Women's Rights

80% of women in the GDR between the ages of 18 and 60 were employed. By 1985, half of the university students in the country were female, doubling from a quarter in 1960.[4]

References

  1. Chapter 1, Article 1 of the 1968 Constitution of the German Democratic Republic (1974 amendments) [Text (in German); Archived]
  2. Karl Mai (2009). GDR - FRG in an economic-statistical comparison 1950 to 1989 - On new results by Prof. Gerhard Heske (German: DDR – BRD im ökonomisch-statistischen Vergleich 1950 bis 1989 - Zu neuen Ergebnissen von Prof. Gerhard Heske). [PDF]
  3. Stephen R. Burrant (1987). East Germany: A Country Study: 'The Economy; The Consumer in the East German Economy' (p. 154). United States Federal Research Division.
  4. Stephen R. Burrant (1987). East Germany: A Country Study: 'The Society and Its Environment; Women and the Democratic Women's League of Germany' (p. 102). United States Federal Research Division.