Berlin 1981: A Tale of Two Cities - A Contrast of East and West Berlin

This video takes us back to 1981, when the Berlin Wall was still standing and the city was divided into East and West. We get a glimpse of life in both parts of the city, with stark contrasts between the two. The footage shows the bustling streets of West Berlin, with its vibrant culture and modern architecture, while East Berlin appears gray and austere, with Soviet-style buildings and a lack of modern amenities. This video is a fascinating look back at a time when the world was divided by the Cold War, and Berlin was at the center of it all.
First part is in West Berlin, second East. My grandparents used to live there before and during the war, and came back to visit their old house, among other things. It's a different city in many respects, but i'm glad there is this record of the time then.
For footage lincesing inquiries, contact [e-mail]

[@Mark-yy2py]

Even when it was a nice sunny day, East Berlin was still gray. ☹️

[@jlh4jc]

The film shows vividly the contrast between the East and West. To distinguish the 2, all you have to look at are the cars. In the first part you see Volkswagens, BMWs, Mercedes, and a host of autos imported from NATO countries. Once you cross over, you see mostly Trabants spewing a bluish cloud of smoke. Another thing, it seems like the West has a lot of color and foliage. Once you cross Checkpoint Charlie, it looks monochromatic and hazy. I'll say this for the East. That changing of the guard sure was impressive. Plus there was a lot of good history to see in the East. Thanks for sharing.

[@copperhead9437]

I was a Army medic stationed in Berlin in 1981. This is the city as I knew it. Love watching this.

[@Nikki_Holland]

visited the DDR a couple of times before unification on my motorbike. It was such an amazing experience. East Berlin, very grey and depressing and the heavy stink of the 2 stroke exhaust fumes from all the vehicles. We also visited Dresden, Leipzig and Meissen.

[@williamwood5310]

I spent 6 months in Berlin, 1983-84. I studied basic German at the Goethe Institute. What great memories. The local people were so friendly.

[@katyu16]

Spent a summer in Germany 1981. Most of it in W. Berlin but I visited the East two times. The differences were just as the video shows. East was gray, far less cars and the vibe wasn't good at all.

[@jamesr1703]

When the camera turned to the direction of the Brandenburger Tor, my heart skipped a beat. Still brought back an unsettling feeling.

[@2rue]

Funny how colorful all the cars were then. Who would buy a red or green car nowadays?

[@OrnumCR]

The damage in East Berlin is still plainly evident on some of the classical buildings in these shots. To see this same area today is to see a frenetic sea of scaffolding, rebuild and construction. The video makes the city look very gloomy on both sides. Berlin is a lot more vibrant these days without these constraints on it by wartime victors. Interesting to look back on this period, but I am so glad it is consigned to the dustbin of history.

[@MrRacermike1967]

Gute alte Zeit. Keine Graffitis, wenig Kriminalität, man fühlte sich sicher, der KOB ging regelmässig Streife, abends und Nachts konnte man unbeschwert durch das Nachtleben ziehen, ohne überfallen oder abgestochen zu werden. Meine Jugend! Danke fürs Upload

[@maze2000wi]

Amazing to see how clean the streets were back then...

[@terrythomas3755]

I was stationed at the British Military Hospital 1982-1984, this is the Berlin that I remember..

[@romanstaszewski5329]

Thanks for this. This is exactly when I lived there, late 81 to Sept 82. Some pretty awesome childhood memories.

[@daktarioskarvannederhosen2568]

very nice to come across this.

[@doriaperedoblas0824]

My husband was stationed In Berlin 1986-90. What an honor it was to be a part of the Berlin Brigade family. It was our best tour, loaded with history, friends & cultural exchanges.

[@davidkharat3034]

It is very informative, thank you

[@explosivehotdogs]

4:43

[@hushedmusic]

beautiul footage, Thanks for sharing it

[@brucel10315]

Danke fur die kleine ZeitReise.