East Germany

In East Germany, it was not uncommon to hear of secret police patrolling the streets dressed as civilians. It was not unusual to find hidden cameras lying in garbage cans. Artistic expression often led to a prison sentence, while learning about the outside world came only through censored films. Though East Germany was also known for its music and athletes, police brutality and economic depression dominated the international news. Fear and scarcity were daily realities for the people of the East Germany, also known as the German Democratic Republic; and this despite the great cultural achievements of the country and the immense Soviet power behind it. The Socialist Unity Party of Germany, known as the “SED,” controlled almost every aspect of East Germany’s economy and culture after 1949. Although this government allowed different parties to exist, it was essentially a one-party system that combined the Social Democratic Party and the Communist Party of Germany. Elections were held in an open manner in East Germany. Yet democracy was virtually non-existent. Voters were given a choice of approving or rejecting “unity lists” which served as opinion polls. On these lists, approval ratings of the Socialist Unity Party were around 90%, due to unregulated counting and corruption.The main difference between the East German government and Western governments is that the East German government had a Centrally Planned Economy. In a Centrally Planned Economy, the government owns the supply of materials and the companies that use these materials to produce goods. The government establishes national production targets and prices, and allocates wages among the citizens. In East Germany, wages varied depending on a citizen’s profession. However, the difference in pay between professions was much smaller than in western nations. Thus, in effect, the government acted as one big employer for East Germany, earning about 96% of the nation’s total net income by 1985. 'Learn about Stencil Art with iMinds insightful audio knowledge series. In any urban setting throughout the world today, you can expect to see examples of stencil art. On street corners, train stations and public toilets the world over stencil art is a favoured tool of the graffiti artist. Many consider such imagery urban pollution, the work of mindless vandals. Such attitudes ignore what has fast become one of the most significant artistic and cultural movements of the early 21st century. Stencil Art is no longer the sole domain of the graffiti artist, the aesthetic is now ubiquitous in advertising, the mainstream press and even on the walls of the world's most famous galleries. Perfect to listen to while commuting, exercising, shopping or cleaning the house.. iMinds brings knowledge to your MP3 with 8 minute information segments to whet your mental appetite and broaden your mind. iMinds unique fast-learning modules as seen in the Financial Times, Wired, Vogue, Robb Report, Sky News, LA Times, Mashable and many others.. the future of general knowledge acquisition.' Learn about East Germany with iMinds insightful knowledge series. In East Germany, it was not uncommon to hear of secret police patrolling the streets dressed as civilians. It was not unusual to find hidden cameras lying in garbage cans. Artistic expression often led to a prison sentence, while learning about the outside world came only through censored films. Though East Germany was also known for its music and athletes, police brutality and economic depression dominated the international news. Fear and scarcity were daily realities for the people of the East Germany, also known as the German Democratic Republic; and this despite the great cultural achievements of the country and the immense Soviet power behind it. iMinds brings targeted knowledge to your eReading device with short information segments to whet your mental appetite and broaden your mind.