Foreword 4 Overview A State Comes and Goes 8 Everyday Life A Day in the Life of Frau Müller 12 Border The Wall 14 pubLic Life Schwalbe Retrospective Cult 20 Trabi Cardboard Comrade 22 A Diary of Shortages No Cheese!! 26 Consumption Under the Counter 28 Consumption Everyday Chaos 30 Consumption Sold Out 32 Weekend Home Garden Paradise 36 Products Nationally-Owned Products 38 Work The Honour of Working 40 Calculator The School Pocket Calculator SR1 44 School Learn, Learn and Learn Again 46 Kindergarten Playing, Learning and Working 50 Sport Olympics all the Year Round 54 Leisure Time Adventure Holidays on Low Budget 58 Party and State Bust of Lenin The Man of Granite 64 Politics Party and State 66 Ideology Two Plus Two Makes Five 70 Printing Press David and Goliath 74 Church A Mighty Fortress is Our God 76 Opposition Walking Tall 78 Elections Going Folding 82 Bloc Parties Playing at Parliament 84 Mass Organizations From the I to the We 86 1 Mbit Chip Honecker's Path to Glory 88 Economy A Planned Economy Without a Plan 90 Environment Bitter News from Bitterfeld 94 Agriculture Junker Land in Farmer's Hand 96 Volvo Scandinavian Comfort 98 Wandlitz Golden Chains 100 Kalashnikov The Soldier's Bride 102 Brother States Soviet Soldiers, We Thank You! 104 Military The Armed Peace 106 Stasi The Impotence of the Mighty 110 Interrogation Good Cop, Bad Cop 114 Prison Off to Bautzen! 116 Western Visitors East Meets West 120 Exit Permit Turn Off the Lights 124 Life in a tower block Operating Manual Congratulations! 128 Living Accommodation in the DDR 130 Construction A Home for All 134 Storage Unit An Elm-Wood Diamond 138 Party Celebrating Socialist Style 140 Reading Bookworms Under Censorship 144 Monopoly More than Just a Game 146 Television Watching the Class Enemy 148 Tempo Peas Tempo in the Kitchen 152 Equal Rights Let Mutti Have a Go! 154 Food A Life Between Shortage and Gluttony 158 Health Health for All! 160 The Overall For Job and Household 162 Fashion Sibylle's Promise 164 Love and Marriage Love, Sex and a Marriage Loan 168 Pittiplatsch The TV Goblin 170 Children's Books The Imagination Knows no Bounds 172 Youth The Youthful State 174 SKR 700 Listening to the West 176 Music Beat Music by Committee 178 Coming of Age The Path of Life 180 Hand Drill A Drill for All Seasons 182 Garage A Hobbyist's Paradise 184 End and New beginning Autumn 1989 Reunification and Wende 188 Mural In Praise of Communism 190 Chronology 192 Bibliography and Photo Credits 198