6 - “Normalizing” the Past: East German Culture and Ostalgie

Summary

Over thirteen years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, united Germany became engulfed by a wave of Ostalgie: nostalgia for the former GDR. In the aftermath of Wolfgang Becker's internationally acclaimed box-office hit Good Bye, Lenin! in 2003, not only were plans for a GDR theme park unveiled, but popular Ostalgie publications swamped bookstores, internet sites such as OssiVersand and Ossiladen expanded exponentially, and shops scattered throughout Berlin, but also as far afield as Munich and Stuttgart, now offer a wide range of products, from Zetti chocolate bars to T-shirts sporting SED slogans, Ost Rock compilation CDs and Ampelmännchen cookie-cutters. Those seeking evening entertainment today may choose to have a drink in one of Berlin's several Ostalgie bars, stay at home to watch a range of GDR TV shows, or invite friends round for a glass of Rotkäppchen and a game of Überholen ohne Einzuholen. Few could argue with Matthias Platzeck, Minister President of Brandenburg and now chairman of the SPD, in his assessment that “Der Osten ist ‘angesagt.’ ” Many, however, take issue with his view that “Die neue Neugier auf die eigene Geschichte ist ein ermutigendes Zeichen — ein Beleg dafür, dass unser Land an Normalität gewinnt.” Indeed, it seems ironic that at a time when political discourse in Germany is increasingly promoting the concept of “normality,” popular culture is celebrating aspects of this nation's divided, and in many ways “abnormal,” past. This chapter examines the relationship between popular cultural manifestations of Ostalgie and the concept of normality over a decade after the fall of the Berlin Wall.