Economy

“Contraband” in the GDR: How did East German teens go about getting the jeans jacket or the latest AC/DC tape they wanted, but couldn't get in the GDR? And what do pizza boxes and album covers have in common? 

Does Capitalism sell you things you don't need? How to make 1000 jars of jam? Follow Jonathan Zatlin, PhD, in this fascinating discussion about East Germany's shortage economy. 

The short answer: No, they're not. They're both interrelated and have much more in common than you think. 

Americans use the expression “In it for the money” negatively. How did East Germans think of money in their planned economy? How about in West Germany?

East Germany was notoriously known for closed borders and restriction of movement, but it also participated in Socialist Globalization. Quinn Slobodian, PhD, professor of history at Wellesley College discusses the deep interconnections of East Germany with many parts of the world outside of Europe. A global Cold War network that included vast exchanges of goods, people and expertise. 

How did East Germany (GDR) fit into Socialist Globalization?

Capitalist Globalization? Socialist Globalization? What's the difference? 

The planned economy mobilized resources around heavy industrialization, but as Herr Stiller’s experience with a gas pipeline construction project in the Soviet Union in the late 1980s shows, planning could not always live up to its promises. Follow Herr Stiller as he looks back and comments at the footage he took decades ago.