Experiences During the Cold War From 1961-1989 Germany was divided into two different sections, West Germany and East Germany. After the Berlin Wall “came down” in 1989 Germany still felt divided because of the country’s various cultures and history. That divide can still be seen today as many people still refer to themselves as either East Germans or West Germans. Many people say that after the Berlin Wall “came down”, there was a beautiful reunification of Germany, but others believe that there is still lingering division from being apart for almost thirty years. Although Germany is less divided in terms of their land, the cultures on both sides of the wall are still very different, creating significant division between the people.
East Germany: The Soviet Union’s sector of Germany was in the East with East and West Berlin in the middle. “Almost half of Germans are convinced that there are more differences than similarities between citizens in the East and the West,” Claudia von Salzen said. The Soviet Union’s control over East Germany and East Berlin was a lot more rigid, strict, guarded and closed off than the lives of people in West Germany and West Berlin. According to a journalist from East Germany named Rob Olver, “When I wanted to go to the next higher school, the Gymnasium they call it - I wasn’t allowed for political reasons.” This is one of the many examples of how the lives of the people were controlled in East Germany. For context, the people who lived in East Germany were not allowed to go to school past the age of sixteen, unless they were in the communist party or went to the military. Many people did not want to join the