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History   >   Germany – Life in East Germany, 1949-89

Why was housing seen as so important to the building of a socialist society?

 
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Germany – Life in East Germany, 1949-89

In this course, Dr Marcel Thomas (University of Manchester) explores life in East Germany between 1945-89 via six key questions: (1) Why was housing seen as so important to the building of a socialist society?; (2) Were women more emancipated in East Germany than in the West?; (3) To what extent did Stasi surveillance shape life in East Germany?; (4) How important was repression for the stability of the GDR?; (5) What was the role of the Protestant church in East Germany?; and (6) How did Ostpolitik change relations between West and East Germany?

Why was housing seen as so important to the building of a socialist society?

In this module, we think about why housing was seen as so important to the building of a socialist society in East Germany, focusing in particular on: (i) the practical need for new housing in the aftermath of the Second World War; (ii) the role in housing in the political aims of the ruling Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED); (iii) the construction of the Stalinallee in East Berlin and socialist model towns such as Stalinstadt (later renamed Eisenhüttenstadt); (iv) the lack of progress on housing between 1945-71, and the renewed efforts under Erich Honecker between 1971-89; (v) the nature of some of the housing developments that were built in this period, in particular the Berlin-Marzahn development built from 1977 onwards; and (vi) the extent to which the housing policy of East Germany was a success, both practically and politically.

Cite this Lecture

APA style

Thomas, M. (2021, February 09). Germany – Life in East Germany, 1949-89 - Why was housing seen as so important to the building of a socialist society? [Video]. MASSOLIT. https://massolit.io/courses/germany-life-in-east-germany-1949-89/how-important-was-repression-for-the-stability-of-the-gdr

MLA style

Thomas, M. "Germany – Life in East Germany, 1949-89 – Why was housing seen as so important to the building of a socialist society?." MASSOLIT, uploaded by MASSOLIT, 09 Feb 2021, https://massolit.io/courses/germany-life-in-east-germany-1949-89/how-important-was-repression-for-the-stability-of-the-gdr

Lecturer

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Dr Marcel Thomas

Manchester University