Items

• The German Democratic Republic: Before and Beyond
  This project is an interview with Dr. Nina Rosenbusch, a woman born in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Rosenbusch was only a teenager when the Berlin Wall fell down in 1989 and so she is part of the generation of Germans who came into adulthood in the newly reunified Germany. This interview seeks to understand the legacy of the GDR’s culture for the citizens of modern Germany. In particular, the discussion focuses on the generation of Rosenbusch’s parents who only knew Germany as two separated states, unlike the generation of Rosenbusch’s grandparents who were able to remember a previously unified Germany. The involvement of the state in daily life is also discussed, with a focus on the German secret police service, called the Stasi. As Rosenbusch’s family did not protest against the state, they were not as affected as some individuals but were nonetheless limited in what they could do and say. Ultimately, the German Reunification was and is very popular in the former GDR, although there are still slight cultural differences and difficulties for those who lived most of their lives before 1989.
• Berlin: An Anchor Of Culture
  Beginning with Evelyn’s cultural connection with Canada and how that relates to her experiences in Berlin as a text overlay. We explore Evelyn’s first memories in the aftermath of World War 2. Afterward, we transition into life during the rebuilding of Berlin and her experiences transitioning between East and West Berlin before the Berlin Wall is built. Evelyn recounts her visits to East Germany after the wall has been built and the struggles faced with the new reality of strict border checks and a wall separating east and west. Finally, Evelyn reflects at the lasting effects the division has had on the German people and the entire country itself, as well as what her connection to Berlin means to her.