What East Germany Is Really like (Exploring Thüringen)

[@britingermany]

Have you been to East Germany? What is your favourite area and why?

[@afjo972]

Potsdam, the first city I visited when I came to Germany, Brandenburg an der Havel right next to Potsdam, East-Berlin (10000 times better than West-Berlin), the Uckermark, the Spreewald, the Müritz, Schwerin, Wismar, Heiligendamm, Rostock, Warnemünde, Stralsund, Rügen, Usedom, Dresden, Meißen, Bautzen, Görlitz, Zittau, Pirna, Freiberg, the Erzgebirge, Leipzig, Halle, Naumburg, Quedlinburg, Wernigerode, Mühlhausen, Hainich, Eisenach, Thüringer Wald, Saalfeld, Altenburg, Weimar, Erfurt

[@RickDeckard6531]

@@afjo972 Halle?

[@kerstingravel8160]

There are lots of awesome places. One of my most favorite is Dresden. The city is full of history, beautifully restored and clean. There’s so much to see and the whole area around is awesome too, like „Elbsandsteingebirge“, Pirna, Königsstein, etc.

[@theodoroseidler7072]

My favourite by far is Dresden. Wandern in die Sächsische Schweiz zu gehen, Königstein und Moritzburg zu besichtigen, ein Stück Bienenstich am Semperoper Café zu essen, ein Krug Schwerter Kellerbier zu trinken ... Unheimlich viel zu unternehmen. Museen, Natur, herrliche Landschaften und dazu gutes und typisches Essen zu geniessen.

[@vladimiradoshev5310]

yeah many times, I love in Berlin. Dresden and the Saxon Switzerland are my favorite!

[@afjo972]

2:58 Jena is a student city. So its only logical that there are plenty of young people, especially compared to other Thuringian cities. And it’s a major city.

[@envo2748]

Greetings from Weimar. I'm glad you enjoyed it here.

[@britingermany]

I sure did. Thanks 😊

[@Emnor1993]

@@britingermany damn, thats where I am. the algorithm knows. Was strange to see the Bauhaus Museum first thing. Greetings from Weimar anew!

[@theon__]

Than you should know that Thüringen was actualy DDR but as far from beeing east than Hamburger been a traditional american Food (becous invented in hamburg. Google it)

[@martypines9704]

I spent a week in Leipzig a year after re-unification. To be honest, it was no more grey or run down than many cities in the UK are today.

[@britingermany]

That doesn’t speak well for the U.K.

[@RickDeckard6531]

Nah. I was in Leipzig for New Year 1989. Off the main thoroughfares, there were rows and rows of houses in an incredible state of disrepair. It was more like the slums of 1930s - 1950s UK. The air also smelled of "olde England" due to the coal fires.

[@tanyab244]

@@RickDeckard6531 he said after reunification. I believe 1989 was before?

[@RickDeckard6531]

@@tanyab244 Re-unification was on October 3, 1990. The Berlin Wall fell in November 1989, but there wasn't much re-building between November 1989 and October 1990 🙂. There were cockroaches crawling across the serving area in the restaurant of the main railway station. As soon as you went down the sidestreets you were back in Dickensian Brtain. The streets were poorly lit and once you left the city, the roads were totally dark.

[@hrillingday]

Come back and visit Görlitz, Bautzen and Zittau area.

[@LLcoolbrain]

The economical gap is only closing slowly. The shock in the aftermath of shutting down almost all producing factories in East Germany right after reunification has never really been overcome. Within in a time frame of 2 years, the country and its people had been absorbed by a totally different economic system and people had to learn (practically over night) a whole new set of rules and ways of thinking. Most people over 40 really struggled with that at the time. And this topic is still echoing in the memories of many. Because of the loss of the economic base over night, a lot of people who were qualified workers and specialists in their field, found themselves out of a job. They were told that the products they produced couldnt compete in the world market and their knowledge about the jobs they used to perform was not up to date, or worth less in companies in West Germany. Companies were put under the control of an special administration, which was to serve as a vehicle to sell the East German companies to potential investors. The West German government funded this sort of escrow company and had tailored special tax legislation to attract investors willing to buy the companies in the East. Long story short, that model was often abused. Companies were sold for a symbolic coin and then the assets were ripped out and sold off or implemented (like patents) by the buyer company operating in West Germany or even in a foreign country. The rest was abandoned and buried with time going by and the people who once had worked there, were released into unemployment. It is so difficult to explain 35 years in its entirety but the reunification process has left many wounds with many people in the East. I am now in my 40s and have lived in West Germany and the U.S. and I typically don't admit that I was born and raised in GDR. Because there is still this notion in the West that East Germans were second class people. This mindset is still present, not openly but in stealth mode. The East could have had a more prosperous past during the last 25 years, but the potential hasnt been tapped into.

[@annelibozobarat-fy8vj]

Sehr gut und wahrheitsgemäß begründet. Wir im Osten mussten unser komplettes Leben umstellen, politisch, ökonomisch usw.! Das musste nicht ein einziger Westdeutscher tun!

[@tiborbogi7457]

Interestingly this is quite similar what happened in Slovakia after 1989.

[@carillonberlin5424]

I have lived in West Berlin since 1972 and visited East Germany many times in the following 17 years staying with friends and playing concerts at festivals. I went not only to East Berlin but to Potsdam, to a village on the Polish border, to Rerik on the Baltic coast, to Apolda where I stayed with the local bell founder family the Schillings, to Lößnitz, Magdeburg, Gera, and Altenburg. I took part in festivals organized by the East Germans, stayed with them in their own hotels and homes, and spoke openly with them behind closed doors and was a friend of the East German architect Hermann Henselman, who built large apartment buildings in East Berlin in the 1950s. Everything you have said about the reunification process is absolutely true and well-put, I saw it happen with my own eyes. However, you missed out the view from the other side of the wall. The East Germans refused to be classified as 2nd class citizens. The country was completely bankrupt and had no gold reserves. Secret tapes made during meeting of the East German leaders revealed that they admitted they had no idea how to run the economy and had made a total mess of it. When reunification came West Germany was faced with a country covered by a huge sheet which had "Everything for the people" written on it and when it was lifted everything underneath was just a huge, rotten mess. Because East Germans were used to being controlled by the state, they thought that West Germans were similiarly controlled, all the goodies they enjoyed came from the state and they would automatically enjoy these after reunification. They were completely unprepared for the reality of West German capitalism and only made everything worse by demanding their worthless currency be converted on a one-to-one basis. Had they accepted two-to-one it would have halved the debts their businesses had accrued. Also, the East German party had acquired huge amounts of Western currency doing business with western European firms, East German prisoners were forced to build IKEA furniture and serves as guinea pigs for west German pharmacutical companies testing new drugs. All this money was hidden in secret bank accounts in Austria and Switzerland and disappeared after reunification instead of being used to rebuild East Germany. West Germans had to pay all of East Germans health insurance, pensions and unemployment benefits because the country was bankrupt and none of them bothered to thank the West Germans for that. And to finance this all Germans - both East and West - had to pay a special extra "solidarity" tax for 30 years. And West Germans who went to work in East Germany were looked on as outsiders and made clear they didn't belong there.

[@annelibozobarat-fy8vj]

@@carillonberlin5424 yes, explained exactly...and they got an extra benefit of 500 Marks to their salaries, the socalled "Buschprämie", because they had to work "behind the forests", in the wilderness...😅

[@marcdenoire5462]

​@@tiborbogi7457 I think that Slovakia was a bit different case because you had to build your newly independent country on your own. In the case of East Germany the whole system was imposed from outside. The point is that the West German system did not really fit the needs of East Germany at that time. West Germans invested a lot in East German infrastructure but they failed to make East Germany to economic success story. You shouldn't be misguided by economic statistics. Most of East German GDP proceeds from social transfers and hidden subsidies from the West. I believe that if East Germany would separate from West Germany (unthinkable but just a hypothetical scenario) its GDP per capita would be lower than that of Slovakia or even Romania.

[@martinas.2037]

I visited Erfurt just last week for the first time and I found it stunning with the old architecture and historical places. The stay was very enjoyable 😊 100% recommendations

[@unsinnkim3690]

When I'm old, I'll leave Berlin and settle somewhere in the East. Erfurt, Pirna, Rostock... we'll see. Anything is better than growing old in Berlin. I don't want to have to put up with people anymore, I just want peace and quiet.

[@kerstingravel8160]

I totally agree. I lived in the East before and moved to Berlin because of my husband. He still wants to stay ( he is born here), but I would like to leave. The cities you mentioned are all nice. Especially when you got pension the East mostly has just advantages. Living quieter, more friendly people, less costs. Especially compared to Berlin.

[@matthewromano9621]

Funny I’m moving to Berlin to pursue techno 😂😂

[@SheratanLP]

Komm nach Thüringen. Ruhe und Gelassenheit im Überfluss. :)

[@unsinnkim3690]

@@matthewromano9621 That's exactly why I'm leaving.

[@Kev6764]

🤣😂

[@AndreiKuzentsov]

As a Russian living in Germany, I can say that post-Soviet countries may be anti-capitalist in rhetoric, but in reality they are more consumerist and individualistic than the Old West.

[@britingermany]

Really? How so?

[@AndreiKuzentsov]

@@britingermany So, mainly due to the lack of horizontal connections between people. If you don't have enough in common with your neighbor/community, you can behave however you want. The same is true at higher levels of society. Plus, don’t forget about the permanent shortage of consumer goods under the communist regime.

[@flopunkt3665]

​@@britingermanyno well established labour unions with a long history of defending workers' rights

[@hschan5976]

@@britingermanyBecause communism destroyed/subjugated traditionalist institutions that helped maintain social cohesion and faith in humanity, like church communities, charities and labor unions, but failed to install convincing replacements under the communist framework. That said i think the old money west is increasingly facing the same challenges, now that people took liberalism for real and abandoned the traditionalist institutions just like people did under communism.

[@riccardodececco4404]

@@britingermany they know what Communism/Socialism really looks and feels like....

[@tomekdarda]

5:05 common misconception: modernist block architecture is not only typical for former Moscow-subjugated states of Eastern Block. You will find the same concrete blocks like that in London and Paris. Yes, they will be hidden away even further in the suburbs and not as many, but they will be there.

[@AlfaGiuliaQV]

Plattenbau is a distinctive east german invention. Just like kruschovkas in the former ussr

[@JohnBham]

I was stationed in Germany in the late 80's (Fulda, just east of Frankfurt) and my unit was one of the few that patrolled the East-West German border up until the day the restrictions were removed and, of course, later official reunification took place. As soon as we could travel east, many of us history buffs in my unit piled into our cars and immediately headed for the places knew would have been battleground we would have fought on had WW3 broken out. Geise, Eisenach- many of the places you mentioned were on our list. We stayed overnight in Jena, visited Leipzig (the monument to the Battle of the Nations is spectacular- and HUGE), Wartburg (where Martin Luther wrote parts of his 99 Theses), and many battlefields of the Napoleonic wars. We went to Weimer and just north of the city (if I remember back that far) we ran across- quite unexpectedly- the Buchenwald concentration camp. As it housed many Red Army prisoners during WW2, the Soviets preserved it meticulously; we even ran into quite a few Red Army and East German soldiers touring the site as well. All in all I found East Germany to be absolutely fascinating, if a little behind the curve economically in those days. I met and talked with many locals in the East (in my very bad German!) and found them to be fantastic people, even with the typical German reserve one expects. In some respects I'd like to see Eastern Germany caught up to the West, but another part of me wants it to remain 'old school'.

[@juwen7908]

If any foreigner want's to know about east Germany, please speak to someone from east Germany. Cause, as you experienced yourself, many west Germans were never in the east until today (maybe except Berlin, but Berlin is hardly to compare to the rest of Germany). They still just repeat the same prejudices they had about east Germany for the last 30 years without own experiences. It's frustrating. Visit beautiful places over here like Rügen, Spreewald or Sächsische Schweiz, beautiful towns like Greifswald, Rheinsberg or Lübbenau and speak to the people there, to make your own opinion. Your welcome 🤗

[@PiaStevenson-z3m]

I remember the first time I met some East Germans in Budapest in the 80ise. I could clearly see that they were German, but they didn't possess the life force seen in their West German relatives. I guess a Stasi officer was with them. I have often been to places in East Germany including: the beautiful island of Rügen in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Leipzig in Sachsen where my daughter-in-law and her family are from, as well as Thüringen. There is a fascinating museum close to Bad Sooden-Allendorf in Hessen that shows how the Iron Curtain looked. You can have some idea of what life must have been like in the GDR. I can feel a lot of trauma from those who lived in two different dictatorships for over 55 years. That can only make you distrustful of taking risks. They are finding their way though, but it must be a painful journey.

[@jimholder6656]

Thanks for a fascinating report! I spent some time in Sachsen (Saxony) in two incredible cities: Görlitz and Dresden. Both are absolute treasures, and I also found the people there quite friendly. Of course, it helped that I was able to speak some German with them.

[@uncle.d.]

It helps when u are white and when u are heterosexual. If u are Muslim or black or homosexual then unfortunately better don’t visit the east.

[@joseavila9029]

If I ever move to Germany, my favourite places to live would be Dresden and Magdeburg, in that order. They both recall memories of my father-in-law.

[@autorin2291]

Really interesting to see your view and yes, there are lots of prejudices about Eastern Germany (often and gladly told by elderly guys from Western Germany who have never ever been here). It's certainly not a magical wonderland, we do have problems here. But there are also so many beautiful, unique, enchanting things to discover :) So thanks for putting a spotlight on this region. And feel free to hit me up if you ever want to see and know a bit more, I'll gladly show you around :) Greetings from Erfurt!

[@eedragonr]

East Germans are easily integrating, have social and professional values, very exigent of personal behavior, very strict in money and business.

[@frusia123]

I think there's a more general prejudice against Eastern Europe, including Eastern Europe. I'm Polish and if you want to annoy a Pole, tell them they're from Eastern Europe 😁 Poles want to distance themselves from Eastern Europe and like to say we're Central Europe. Not me, because I believe being Eastern Europeans is a part of our history and it's ok. It's not so much about geography, because Finland is further East and no one calls it Eastern Europe. Romania and Bosnia are down in the South and yet they are Eastern Europe. So it's not about geography. The experience of socialism is an important part of our identity, if there is such a thing. And it's ok. Warm greetings 🤗

[@srinivasangkailasam8952]

I am sure that East Germans still have Socialism in their blood.

[@ivorya815]

Thank you for this video! I am a Thüringer myself and I think I love the hills of Wales and England so much because they remind me of home, they're so rich and beautiful. Glad you had a good time here :)

[@solarground]

I have been living in German for 5 years now but being based tin the Ruhrpott never been to the east. I did spend a couple of days in Berlin but that was work focused. You have inspired me to take a trip in the Autumn. It looks and sounds fascinating. I have to say that here in Mülheim an der Ruhr I often get drawn into conversations with locals and especially after a Guten Morgen a conversation can take place. Thanks for your video.

[@britingermany]

Yes I can certainly recommend it. Especially Erfurt and Weimar. I think you will enjoy it

[@autorin2291]

Autumn is a great season to visit. It's usually nice enough to spend time outdoors and everything is so colourful because of the many parks and gardens around, where leaves change their colour...Greetings from Erfurt!

[@MichaelBurggraf-gm8vl]

Hello Ben, that's a beautiful video again in your unique contemplative style. Thank you!

[@britingermany]

Thanks for watching Michael 😀

[@Stepneydragon]

We recently traveled “east” as we we’re visiting Hansestic cities Lübeck and Lüneburg, as well as Erfurt, Gera,Dresden and Potsdam/Berlin. I can’t overstate how enjoyable our time was. Dresden, being the capital of Saxony is an absolute jewel; the Residenzschloss contained a wide range of medieval armaments as well as the remnants of 600 years of rule; Potsdam, as a launchpoint for vorays to Berlin, was brilliant, with the Sans Souci palace as well as evidence of having been a divided city during the Berlin Wall era. Lübeck, with its twin-tiered main gate and charming Rathaus, hosts the Hanseatic Museum, which was an informative presentation. Lüneburg, sitting on a foundation of salt, which was mined and converted to wealth during Hanseatic times, charmed with its city center; Also, the city of Erfurt, with is stunning cathedral and charming Altstadt region was a delightful surprise. In short, after so many trips to southern Germany and the Rhineland, we were gratified to find a broad sampling of the historical as well as current living conditions that begged our return. Did I mention Berlin? I never made it west of Brandenberg gate. So much to explore and enjoy in this modern Germany.

[@britingermany]

That’s sounds like an amazing trip indeed. I assume you did it via car?

[@motivase]

Lübeck and Lüneburg are not east by any means 😂

[@spos5566]

I am English and have had a few holidays in Germany but only once in the East. Your video certainly has fueled my desire to see more of East Germany. And one of the comments about this area really being middle Germany with the old east now in Poland makes me want to include Poland in my travels too!

[@britingermany]

Yes I think there’s a lot to see on Eastern Europe.

[@eryr_llwyd]

Germany once reached to Lithuania and what now is Russian Kaliningrad once was Königsberg, the hometown of the philosopher Immanuel Kant. I have never been that far east, but know the Baltic Sea coast up to Danzig. It's really beautiful there, the people are friendly, most otlf the young people speak English so you can get along without problems. But it's not only the Baltic Sea, Silesia is very beautiful, too, beautiful nature, mountains, little palaces here and there, most buildings renewed. Or the Czech Republic, the Giant Mountains... There are so many places worth to be seen. 😊

[@eloquentia7207]

I spent the last winter in the beautiful city of Schwerin. I heard that after the reunification many west germans came and bought a lot of real estate in the city, leaving the locals behind and squeezing them out of the market. It's a gap that is hard to bridge to this day.

[@woodywoodverchecker]

It sometimes seems to me that people who seem to be more tolerant towards immigration, often go out of their way to move to parts of their city with fewer migrants. They are ok with people from elsewhere to come to the country, but they often do not want them in their immediate neighbourhood.

[@britingermany]

Wouldn’t that mean they are not so tolerant?

[@kerstingravel8160]

You’re right, I’ve seen the same with some people.

[@AurumLuxuria]

@@britingermany In practice yes. However they do not want to admit that to themselves, they are hypocritical and delusional.

[@martian9999]

yep. I know folks who were leftist, until they got kids, after which they were still read the TAZ, but moved to places with better schools. As Mike Tyson says, everybody's your friend, until the rent is due.

[@maro_from_germany]

@@britingermany It's a fairy tale spun by certain people. They want this to be true to justify their own xenophobia (or at least disdain for people not opposed to immigration). Just ask for specific examples and watch them squirm.

[@davidsellars3924]

East Germany including Berlin is my favourite part of the country so far. Still more to see though! Potsdam is also incredibly beautiful and charming.

[@britingermany]

I definitely want to explore further...I love visiting Berlin but would not like living there

[@kerstingravel8160]

@@britingermany I totally agree. There are lots of interesting things to see in Berlin, but it also has lots of things that are not so nice in daily life. ( livingin Berlin for 9 years 😉).

[@robontube12]

You should have seen these places 35 years ago! Guess why it's so beautiful and charming TODAY!

[@martin1042]

@@britingermany it all depends on where and how you live. In a mansion in Grunewald life is way different from a life in a one-room-apartment in Neukölln without a balcony. If I could afford it I'd either live somewhere in Charlottenburg or Wilmersdorf, if possible next to a nice park.

[@user-PHB]

Schön, meine alte Heimat mal so positiv dargestellt zu sehen. (Stamme aus Nordthüringen und hab 9 Jahre in Erfurt gelebt)

[@antoniomaccora593]

For 2,000 years, Germany has been a big problem for civilization and peace in Europe. This depends on the German mentality. Rigid, arrogant, fanatical.

[@Ulf-qg1vd]

I worked in DDR in 1987. I am bitter that the best country ever existed was invaded by W. Germany and with the intention to destroy anything east german. I have created a personal museum with DDR things like reisepasse, medals, flags etc.

[@leifmarkthaler7809]

Erfurt, Weimar and Jena are great cities to live in. Also traveltime to Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich, Leipzig, Dresden are all

[@britingermany]

Yes It#s easy to get around Germany

[@misternaem2103]

Leipzig, Eurfurt, Weimar, Jena or Freiburg im Breisgau/ Karlsruhe? I'm struggling to choose. Eastern German is cheaper, but not as nice.

[@leifmarkthaler7809]

@@misternaem2103between those cities clearly Leipzig. It’s a mix between Berlin and Munich and has really high Quality of living. Erfurt, Jena and Weimar are so close by each other, you can relocate if you see you prefer one other ( personally I like Erfurt more, but Weimar is petite and Jena has a University )

[@shahlabadel8628]

thanks for sharing your impressions of the east Germany. Your views are always interesting and valued by me!

[@britingermany]

Thanks for watching

[@jarifauti4586]

Greetings from East Germany, there is a reasen why the East Germens are distrustful of the capitalist system. The "Reunifications" didn't go well for most of us. In the 1990s the west overtoke evrything in the east and distroid willfully all remaining wealth and competition to western industries. The rebuild is still ongoing. So, yes we are a little bit reserved if it comes to change, but most east germans are welcoming and friendly, cause there still is a feeling of solidarity and workin together for the good of all. Thanks for your view on the east.

[@albertopiergiorgi5980]

Then why AfD is that strong there?

[@JinTeutonic53]

Brause they got it Figured out ​@@albertopiergiorgi5980

[@3John-Bishop]

Greetings from south Florida where a lot of Russian people live. I've been to east Berlin and went to museum island, very lovely there.

[@ocs10]

@@3John-Bishop greetings from germany and thank you

[@annelibozobarat-fy8vj]

@@albertopiergiorgi5980 because here are a lot of "fury" inhabitants, which want a better government, not such a dumb policy...and the AfD is against the government, thats why they go and vote for AfD. But they are not the majority. The majority, who is tired and disappointed by the recent policy d o e s n o t go for the polls, because there are no smart people you can vote for! Good educated people work in the industries...where they have no political trouble and hate, there they can make their own decesions and take their own responsibility...and we don't want more and more illegal islamists.They have already stolen the freedom of women, destroy our culture and identidy, it is a shame also for the lots of foreigner, which came to Germany in order to work here together with us for a better live in peace and freedom...

[@LouDeVere]

Amazing. You've absolutely shattered my ideas of East Germany too! I would definitely like to travel to the east one day and see it for myself. I think I've only been to Germany a couple of times in my life and only then for brief periods. You've given me something to research now. Thank you for your insight.

[@torstenberlin4088]

Again you have created a very beautiful and informative video ... Proposal: Get deeper into the topic of East and West Germany in the future, there is much more to explore and explain. Also in reference to the recent elections ... Unfortunately more than 30 years after the reunification certain complicated conflicts haven't been overcome yet. Theodor Fontane's famous phrase "ein weites Feld" is very appropriate in this context. Thanks for adding this gem to our Sunday to you, Benjamin; I wish you and your fans here an enjoyable rest of this weekend!

[@britingermany]

Thanks so much and have a great Sunday Torsten

[@torstenberlin4088]

​Thanks a lot, Benjamin ☺️👍

[@guycrew3973]

Can you translate the phrase

[@torstenberlin4088]

The phrase "ein weites Feld" literally means "a wide field", figuratively: a very complex issue.

[@pgsells]

Hello! Nice video, thanks for it. I've been to the "former GDR" only a couple of times, Weimar just shortly after reunification and Leipzig a couple of years after that. I found Leipzig fascinating. Was in Weimar for only a day trip, as I recall, mainly to see the Goethe house. One thing I did remember about that trip was that a lot of the buildings looked shabby on the outside from the usual pollution, I supposed (the lignite and that sort of thing). I imagine things have gotten much nicer by now. If and when I get back to Germany, I'll probably be giving the east another look.

[@britingermany]

Yes I think they have invested a lot into renovation projects. They've tried hard to keep things in their original aesthetic

[@BobWitlox]

Politically there's a strong divide between East and West Germany, and hence also in people's outlook on life and how to want the country to move forward. I'm Dutch so I have an outsider view on Germany which is probably oversimplified. AfD is much stronger in the East than in the West. If you look at the results of the recent EU elections, it's like two separate countries (still).

[@britingermany]

Yes there is still a divide but it’s less pronounced than what I experienced 10 years ago

[@SheratanLP]

We had mayoral elections in Pößneck a few weeks ago. Look at the results. Nothing with AfD.

[@thomas2425]

It is much more complicated imo. It is true that older people from the gdr have seen, what very few people in the world have and may have their own take on things. But lots of families are spread all over the country. Many people in east germany have never even experienced comunism at all. (Those have to be like ~50+ by now and may live in the west). But jobs still pay better in the west on average. Money goes where money is. Everybody expects roi. It is not like everyone is happy with politics and especially not happy with communication and political debate. But it is hard to grasp

[@eedragonr]

In my opinion the German state kept abusing and discriminating them. But the successful people of today don't feel it anymore.

[@BLaw707]

In a healthy democracy it is OK to have different political views.

[@kommtravel]

Living in the east in a small village (dorf) near Dresden. And as a foreigner, I never felt not welcomed, if not the opposite. Prior to that, we lived in the west for almost 2 decades, but only in this small village in the east we have received a very warm welcome with welcome gifts from the neighbors. Even got invited to their street annual feast. Yes, they might be a little bit conservative, but they are one of the friendliest neighbors we know so far. I appreciate the west modern approach. But the sense of community and cultures in the East are just more intact and preserve in my opinion. Please visit Dresden, Bautzen and its other beautiful cities around. You will be amazed by its architectures and beautiful natures too!!

[@Lat265]

In 2024, do you find East Germans more friendly than West Germans?

[@kommtravel]

@@Lat265 I am surprise myself that I would say this because of what is being profiled by medias about the east, but yes. - Just awhile ago, we were spontaneously offered beers and cakes from these neighbors. We had a great chats and laughs. And we actually just wanted to pick our pre-ordered smoked fish.

[@Hansaman58]

Very interesting video. I was born in Frankfurt am Main in 1958. Attended high school in Heidelberg in the 1970’s and stationed in Wiesbaden in the 1980’s. I’ve visited Berlin (West and East) four times all before the wall fell. So my experiences are very deeply rooted in West Germany pre-reunification. Seeing videos like yours are great. I could not travel to East Germany and am getting old now. Appreciate the virtual visit.

[@oliverlondon5246]

Great that you visited Thüringen. We’ve spent our summer holidays there twice as it is only a short journey away from Berlin. We loved it. There is so much to see and explore. Lots of culture, beautiful landscapes and not many tourists. But, I don’t think it is fully representative of East Germany though.

[@britingermany]

No it's just one state and I suppose they are all different. It was a great experience and I'll have to see when I can explore more of the east

[@aardilam]

Totally agree that it's not representative of East Germany, especially not Weimar with its cultural heritage and droves of tourists, Jena as an affluent tech hotspot (Zeiss, Schott, etc.), and Erfurt being a state capital. Plus, all 3 are university towns with lots of international students.

[@rokadaprliinnysystemyaczno4761]

Spent 6 weeks travelling across Germany early summer 2024. I was pretty shocked by the East/West Germany contrast. Leipzig strick me as a vibrant cultural city with cutting edge culture, while when i crossed into the West I was shocked by how unfit West Germans were !

[@willietorben560]

Leipzig is pretty much unique, and your description is spot-on. I think it's due to having a massive greenspace running right through it, and car traffic is more concentrated on the large thoroughfares than in other German cities; off the main roads, it's pretty tranquil, with lots of parks and trees and surprisingly good air for a city that size. People go about on foot or by bike often. Also, the climate is really warm (in summer). Leipzig has its own vibe, maybe the only German city that somewhat reminds of Barcelona or Montpellier.

[@prestone9717]

East Germany has a population denssity similar to parts of France. If anything the West is an oddity because like the Netherlands there are just so many people within individual regions.

[@coupsdestylo]

Visited Germany once, a town in Thuringen, Got told off by a German at the airport "what you came all the way to Germany and only visited that sh1th0le" He was so upset by my tourism choice, I found that strangely gratifying

[@britingermany]

Haha. What an odd experience

[@Holozon]

Thuringen is the most Nazi state in all of Germany, half of its population went to better places for work in the last 3 decades, the half that stayed are either the old or the hardcore unemployment collecting Nazis.

[@mark9294]

😂

[@SheratanLP]

There are stupid people everywhere. And the stupidest of them are West Germans who have never been to an East German area but presume to judge the region.

[@lws7394]

​​@@britingermany That is typical of folk from capital or core regions .. The prejudice and attitude people from the Randstad (west) in the Netherlands have about the border regions is astounding ! But it does affect the decisions that are made about those regions ... And similar happens in UK with the north I guess. How the Northern Poerhouse rail line was scrapped was a kick in the groin . For relative low budget it would gave made a massive difference for Lancshire and Yorkshire ( more time benefites than HS2 ). Currently they use 'victorian' rail lines for what it seems ..).

[@fredbehn9287]

Thanks for another great video. It was refreshing to see a video highlighting the things to appreciate in the eastern areas of Germany. Erfurt and Eisenach (Wartburg Castle) are charming and fascinating places and key cities on the "Luther Trail" along with Wittenberg. As I've mentioned in earlier comments, my roots are entirely northern and eastern German. My mother's mom came from Kirch Baggendorf in Mecklenburg Vorpommern east of Rostock. I've been there and to many of the other places you mention. We have friends in the east and attended their 60th wedding anniversary a few years back. Yes, the shadow of the communist regime hangs heavily over people of that age and even their children (I know this first hand), but the areas are adjusting steadily and moving on.

[@britingermany]

Perfect. Sounds like you know the area very well.

[@nickmathews7445]

I always liked East Germany - always felt it brought me back to a quieter time - I am always amazed at the quality of the land & fields as I go on train journeys through the East - Gorlitz, Dresden, Leipzig, Stralsund, Wismar, are also worth a visit. Must check out Weimar, Jena and Erfurt on the next trip.

[@afjo972]

It’s always hilarious hearing people from western Germany (or you coming from Western Europe) say that Eastern Germany is grey 😂 apart from the obvious fact that Western Europe is much rainier (=greyer), almost all buildings in East Germany were renovated after the reunification. Right now, the second wave of renovations is in full swings. The Plattenbauten are usually painted in multiple strong colours. And then look at the Plattenbauten in Western Germany…. 🤮 sometimes Europe’s wealthiest regions( Baden-Württemberg, Hessen, NRW) look like the poorest regions

[@CordeliaWagner1999]

Looking at the Ruhrgebiet: Some areas look like third wotld. Especially the NOGO areas have a strong Afghanistan Aesthetic

[@niwa_s]

Westdeutsche Städte schaffen es auch oft ganz ohne Platten, absolut grottig auszusehen. Selbst im Hässlichsein sind sie dem Osten überlegen 😔

[@Marcus-zb7ov]

@@niwa_sis klar…😂 denke mal jede Stadt, jede Region hat ihre nicht so schönen Ecken. Fakt ist, dass leider immer noch viele Wessis nicht viel oder gar nichts gesehen haben vom Osten. Auf beiden Seiten ist noch eine Menge zu tun

[@uncle.d.]

@@afjo972 u heard about solidaritätsbeitrag? We have been paying for the development of the eastern states since many many years. Inbetween, the east got renovated whereas a lot of western regions ( like ruhrgebiet, Niederrhein) fell behind- it would be fair to support those regions now.

[@spatzdach6537]

klasse gekontert! die platte ist lebenswerter geworden wie sie schon sagten , sehenbesser aus als die im westen , ich denke da an einen bericht über das neubauviertel in köln...

[@vanessagardiner7663]

I am really enjoying all your superb and quietly informative videos, thank you so much.

[@SheratanLP]

I just saw your video on a Brit's site who reacted to your video. I come from Pößneck, about 57 km southeast of Weimar. Your video is really great and I was particularly pleased that you liked our towns and the countryside so much. There is so much to discover in the whole of Thuringia and believe me, the friendliness of my Thuringians is no exception, even if politicians like to claim the opposite. Thuringia is the green heart of Germany and the Thuringians have their hearts in the right place.

[@britingermany]

Really which Site is that? Glad you liked it. I meant what I said

[@SheratanLP]

@@britingermany Die Seite ist von Dwayne's Lens kzbin.info/www/bejne/pmeUqqGGq61_iNU Ich glaube dir, was du gesagt hast. Ich wohne ja hier und weis wie schön es hier ist. Hab gestern erst in Hummelshain das Jagdschloss besucht und ein Video auf meinen Zweitkanal hochgeladen, weil es so schön ist und kaum einer kennt, wie es mit vielen Burgen und Schlössern in Thüringen so ist.

[@martinkrekeler1727]

Das viele Thüringer ihr Herz an einem sehr rechten Fleck haben, glaube ich sofort...

[@shlomitgrantz8459]

Quite interesting is that I'm typing and assisting a Jewish elderly woman who is writing her memoirs of teaching in Jena and other places that you mention in your video and seeing these places, have now made her memoir come to life.

[@stateraskate]

Thank you so much for making this video. I am an American with deep Eisenach/Erfurt/ Weimar roots. I have been to all 3 cities ( multiple times) with Erfurt as not only my favorite but one day I would want to live in one day. I felt that the people were very friendly and welcoming but I dealt mostly with those who speak english in the hospitality or retail business. You bring up very interesting points about their attitude toward foreigners and would I be seen as a foreigner or would I be viewed as a one of their own? Perhaps the former based on your assessement which has given me reason to research it more before I make such a large move.

[@britingermany]

Yes do look in to it. Unfortunately we are often judged by the people ruling our country. However if you make and effort to learn the language and the cultural norms you will be fine

[@willietorben560]

Just wait a bit - half a year or so - and see how it sorts itself out after the September elections.

[@willietorben560]

@@britingermany This is really bad advice. Really REALLY bad advice that can get people killed. Suffice to say that one month from now, their State parliament wil have an anti-American to rabidly anti-American majority. If you're from the US and not a Trump voter, prepare to be hated. Probably 1 in 3 will blame all the evils of the world on the "Atlanticists" or "the East Coast wink wink nudge nudge". They used to hold it back, but after the elections they won't be so coy anymore.

[@BrimfulEmptiness]

Speaking from a Saxon perspective, there is a slight misconception regarding resentments towards foreigners. You wouldn't see more friction than me, trying to move to Spain. The people seldomly have issues with people from the western world, our Polish or Czech neighbours, the Baltic states and so on. Or better to say: the level of resentment matches the average found elsewhere. We have a large Vietnamese community over here. While there were incidents in the 90's and members of this community suffered from hostile behaviour back in the days, nowadays the level of anti-Asian resentment is basically on par with the rest of the country. True is, we have a strong anti-muslim movement, which is even often found within our local migrant communities, too. But, apart from what west German resentments are telling, the situation over here isn't worse than in the plethora of other European countries.

[@xelakram]

Grüße aus Wales! Another superb video. East Germany looks so beautiful; and it certainly looks far more prosperous than the image of the GDR I had in my mind’s eye. This, of course, is because one’s perceptions of the east of Germany were somehow frozen at the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Though they certainly shouldn’t have been. Further, deep down, I knew it wasn’t like that, of course. Time doesn’t stand still. As you will have surely guessed by now, I am a Germanophile. I love the German language and I love traditional German architecture, too. The architecture from what I saw in your great video certainly didn’t disappoint. It’s as green as Wales is. Also, the short road journey you showed in the video could have been taken in some parts of Wales I know, especially around mid-Wales. Particularly the road you showed at time 2.18 -2.27 . However, Thuringia looks so much more prosperous than many parts of Wales - and England these days as well! - more especially since Brexit. Thanks so much for another most enjoyable video. Your efforts, Ben, are much appreciated.

[@helenebach3440]

So then as a German who has been living in 4 Wales for 4 years now I am a Welshophile for sure:-) and I do also enjoy this channel as it gives a totally new perspective on my home country. Whereabouts in Wales do you live? Hwyl am mawr

[@xelakram]

@@helenebach3440 I didn’t expect to meet a German Cymrophile on KZbin today! Hwyl fawr I chwi hefyd! I am glad that you enjoy living in Wales. It’s probably one of the nicest parts of the UK for those of us who like the quiet life. When I was young, I was inclined to find it boring; but age brings with it wisdom and a longing for the quiet life. I live in a small town in the south of the country. Please forgive me, for safety reasons I would prefer not to say exactly where on this open forum. And you? I see that you have been busy learning Welsh. There must be a few Germans out there who speak the language, because many years ago, just out of curiosity, I bought a Welsh leaners’ book written by a German who had lived in Wales for a while. I must say that the author had done an excellent job learning the language. I dare say she ended up speaking the language better than many Welsh people, who are notoriously lazy when it comes to the language. Stellen Sie sich das mal vor: Eine Deutsche, die ein Buch übers Lernen der walisischen Sprache geschrieben hat!

[@helenebach3440]

@@xelakram Cymrophile what a great word:-) Yes Wales is extremely beautiful and quiet. My children have been learning Welsh at school and you get all of the official letters in both Welsh and English so I catch some phrases/words here and there. And it comes in handy when you understand which till is going to be openening soon because Welsh allways comes first in the announcements. When I tried to learn Welsh in the beginning I was really keen but then realised after a while that there is a North and South Welsh which sometimes differs a lot and I didn#T know how to proceed best. I would love to take a look at the Welsh book written by a German. Das ist wirklich etwas Besonderes! Aber Deutsche lieben es sehr, Sprachen zu lernen.

[@helenebach3440]

small village in North Wales

[@xelakram]

@@helenebach3440 Glad you like the word. I didn’t make it up. It actually exists. 😊 Or as we might say in Welsh… Cyfarchion o dde Cymru I ogled Cymru! I am glad you find Wales beautiful and quiet. It is. It’s a well-kept secret. Thank heavens! I don’t live that far from the coast. We in Wales have some of the very finest of beaches. Unfortunately, we rarely get the weather to match! 😊 And when we do get balmy weather, it’s a nightmare to get to the beaches, especially at weekends, because the roads are clogged up with traffic. Weekdays are therefore better, when others are in work. Though I rarely get to the beach these days, I must admit. That book I referred to was bought very many years ago. I have looked for in my book collection, but I have failed to find it. I’ve got books here by the galore. So, it’s difficult after all these years. (Do I still have it?) So then I went over to Amazon.de to try and find it. That’s where I would have bought it. Unfortunately, it appears that it is no longer on sale. I did, however, find a couple of other books that might be of interest to you. Though they are rather expensive. Here are two that look good: This one on Amazon.co.uk : Lehrbuch der walisischen Sprache Paperback - 1 Sept. 2021 | £41.16 This one on Amazon.de : Geiriadur Almaeneg-Cymraeg, Cymraeg-Almaeneg / Wörterbuch Deutsch-Walisisch, Walisisch-Deutsch | €54.53 I am not providing you with the links, because whenever I put up links, KZbin takes my comments down. I understand exactly why you gave up learning Welsh. Many years ago, I experienced the very same thing. It drove me crazy. For you to know, I grew up in an English-speaking family, though my mother had been raised in a totally bi-lingual family. Her father always spoke Welsh to the girls - my mother had a sister - and English to the boys, my mother’s brothers. Conversely, her mother, my grandmother, always spoke English to the girls and Welsh to the boys! Just imagine how conversation went lunchtime on Sundays! 😊 But in fairness to my grandparents, all the children grew up being totally fluent in both English and Welsh. My mother’s Welsh and English were very good indeed. So my grandparents' perhaps unusual methods clearly worked. My Welsh is okay, but my German, believe it or not, is much, much better. There are good reasons for this. There is quite a big difference between textbook Welsh, which is much closer to the Welsh spoken in north Wales, and the Welsh spoken here in the south. That drove me crazy! Every time I started to speak Welsh with someone, using the words I had learnt in the textbooks in school, etc, I’d get a response something like this: Oh, we don’t say it that way here. That’s north Walian Welsh. We say it this way… ! In the end, I just gave up, and turned my attention to learning German instead. German suited me better, because in German, what one learns in a book is usually pretty close to what one says. I rarely spoke Welsh to my mother because it was not what I was used to doing. One tends to build a relationship, parental or otherwise, in a particular language. It is difficult to speak to someone with whom one has always spoken German to suddenly speak English to the person, even if both people are fluent in both languages. There’s a certain indescribable awkwardness to the conversation, somehow. There is another unusual thing about the Welsh spoken in the north , and it is this: The Welsh in the north are apt to speak at the back of the throat. Not so here in the south. If I come across that book sometime, I will let you know, hwyl!

[@arnodobler1096]

I was at school in Eisenach in 1983, when I was 16. The houses were brightly painted, but only in the front row. There was nothing to see of the half-timbering. Because of the coal-fired heating, everything else was grey, brown and black. We invited a group of locals in their early 20s. They all looked around for Stasi before saying a word. It was all incredibly depressing, and the border guards were frightening.

[@britingermany]

Wow that sounds terrifying. How things have changed!

[@Opa_Andre]

This (fresh painting of the houses only towards to the main streets) was fairly common in the cities where officials, VIP's or alike drove through. It was to show that they looked nice and clean and made a good impression either to those, or being recorded that way by TV channels for news, movies or alike. Only those living there knew the truth how run-down the buildings really were...

[@arnodobler1096]

@@Opa_Andre Exactly, the group of young locals then showed us around to show us the reality: depressed!

[@flopunkt3665]

​@@Opa_Andre Saint Petersburg is still like that!!!

[@robertslawek2481]

I concur. Growing up in Poland but with a mix parents a spent a lot of vacation time in East Germany. Even so, even though it was gray and depressing we all wanted to have some east German goods… I remember blue and white school tornisters, salamander shoes and so on. My dad’s wartburg was very sough after car in Poland. And I will never forget visiting sans souci , charlottenburg and taking trips on the weisse flote near werder.😀

[@robtyman4281]

Fascinating video. East(ern) Germany definitely looks like it's worth visiting. Dresden, and Leipzig look so beautiful now. It may take another 20 years for income levels in the former East to get to similar levels they're at in the West. As a Brit, I will say however, that the East/West divide in Germany does not look as stark or noticeable as the North/South divide in England. I don't know what may be 'perpetuating' this East/West divide....but I do know that the North/South divide in England has been exacerbated by first 'forced austerity'; and then obviously Brexit - which has hit northern England harder than southern England. And successive Tory governments who have badly let down those in the north.

[@britingermany]

Yes it’s only anecdotal but some of the northern towns in England wales seem to be struggling a lot more than East German cities.

[@holger_p]

Income level is close to OK, but it's impossible to ever catch up with accumulated assets. The income difference is compensated by another magnitude of "Do it yourself", people paint their appartments themselves, have no "maids" or other services, there are less interiour architects or Yoga-classes. there are 74% of women employed in the West, compared to 86% in the east. The "One-income-couple" is a rather unknown model. And in return, the low pensions of women, you rather find in the west, because they were never or short time employed. Largest difference is: The existance and acceptance of Kindergardens.

[@hschan5976]

@@holger_p "impossible to catch up with accumulated assets" sounds like a worldwide problem tbh. Blame it on Quantitative Easing since the 2008 GFC.

[@holger_p]

@@hschan5976 but assets aren't necessary for anything, but your ' emergeny backup' .and that's something only germans complain about. That's why it's a german Problem. If others have a good life, they are happy. Period. Germans worry about "what will be in 20 years , I don't have money for that time right now".

[@reconquista4011]

In my opinion, many of the divides are echoes of the GDR; Not only did the West get a decades-long head start in establishing themselves in international markets, but most families retained their businesses even after the war and the entrepreneurial culture persisted. Meanwhile in the DDR, all private capital was revoked and many families did not see their ancestral properties restored even after the collapse of the GDR. The businesses which survived the transition were public properties turned private and largely bought up by Western German or international investors. Laws suddenly abruptly changed and most East Germans took many years to get used to the new system. And since the fall, very very few companies have located their headquarters to the East. When they do, it's only in proximity to Berlin. This has put Eastern Germany, understandably, in a long-standing disadvantage. Add to that that Western Germans still paint old East German states as backwards (partly culturally, but mostly due to their political differences), which discourages young people from the West from moving in (on top of there simply being less jobs) and you have the reason for this division. The only good thing, however, is that rent and properties cost much less so the wealth divide doesn't seem so great in reality.

[@mattylamb658]

Come and visit Dresden - that is a real undiscovered gem!

[@britingermany]

I was there in 2015. I’d like to visit again sometime

[@jugbywellington1134]

I went there in 1995. Loved it!

[@ingvarjensen1088]

@@jugbywellington1134 Oh, so you didn't see the reconstructed Frauenkirche yet? The fact, that a British smith who's father was one of the British pilots who bombed Dresden built the cross for that church always gives me goosebumps everytim I think about it: Goldsmith Alan Smith's father was one of the pilots who dropped bombs on Dresden. The experience of the huge fireball was traumatically burned into his memory, which he passed on to his son: "From one moment to the next he was aware of the horror and the suffering. He didn't want Dresden to be forgotten.", reported Alan Smith. When he learnt that the British Dresden Trust wanted to donate a domed cross for the Dresden Frauenkirche and was looking for an experienced blacksmith, he felt it is his duty. Under the hands of Smith, based on plans from Dresden, the “Reconciliation Cross” was created in the London silversmith Grant McDonald. It was presented publicly by the Queen for the first time during Federal President Roman Herzog's state visit to Windsor Castle on December 1, 1998. After a journey through various English cities, it was finally ceremoniously received in Dresden in 2000. While the church was growing surprisingly quickly under a flexible working roof, the cross could be viewed at the edge of the construction site. Just four years later, it floated up on the wooden lantern dome in the presence of the Duke of Kent; Thousands were watching.

[@wanderschlosser1857]

How is Dresden an undiscovered Gem? Dresden is quite well known to be a marvel especially after big parts of the destroyed centre were so well rebuilt. Cities like Erfurt and Weimar are much less known especially to foreigners and these places are true architectural gems on their own.

[@mattylamb658]

​@@wanderschlosser1857 You must be kidding, right!!!?. I am from the UK and live in Dresden. Barely a single person I know in the UK has ever visited here. It is hugely overlooked in favour of Münich, Berlin etc. I only seldom meet anyone from England here. Therefore, it is undiscovered and highly gem-like. So there.

[@leonolivier4799]

Exceptionally well done! Open objective analysis of eastern Germany. Things are never quite as you read in newspapers, or T.V. Your analysis and conclusions were very informative!

[@hansulrichboning8551]

As a westener I have to say, that a many,many hidden gems in east germany. Halle,Naumburg, Meissen for example. Not to forget the amazing baltic coast. In Schwerin you can find out that not only weird bavarian kings can built fairy tale castles.😆

[@frankwoods4532]

This mans voice to me is Mesmerizing. I could listen to his spoke all day, everyday. He's Deliverance, his smooth, deep, clear voice. I've never been to Germany and have know plans on going. But to me he gives a clear message of how we are to sound once we open our mouths. Well done. Thank you for sharing.

[@bennyhannover9361]

There is also nice places in Mecklenburg Vorpommern like the Müritz Area or Schwerin etc, Sachsen Anhalt like Dessau, Halle/ Saale, Quedlinburg, Wernigerode, Halberstadt, many more. Brandenburg, cities like Neubrandenburg, Potsdam, Cottbus and last but not least Sachsen land of August the strong, Dresden, Leipzig, Chemnitz, Zwickau,…

[@britingermany]

Wow that's a long list. I have some more traveling to do 😉

[@afritimm]

I know this is confined to Thuringen, but any discussion of East Germany generally must included Leipzig and Dresden, probably the two most "important" cities of East Germany (excluding Berlin, which is sui generis). Leipzig a university town, home or residence of Bach, Mendelssohn, Wagner, Schumann, where the rebellions of 1989 began and now a prosperous business town as well. Dresden ---- Florence on the Elbe!

[@nataliac7716]

Dresden is stunning

[@lissaf65]

The East used to be indeed grey and decaying because of neglect due to the lack of resources and priorities. After the re-unification a lot of West money had to be invested on infrastructure and buildings, and introduction of western capitalistic Consumerism and easy Loan taking. So what you see and witness is the Result of that investment and re-starting of a new way of life for East Germans

[@jorgeramirez57]

Funny to get this video recommendation right as I'm having some coffee at a cafe in Erfurt. Great video!

[@britingermany]

Oh cool. Which cafe?

[@jorgeramirez57]

@@britingermany The Wiener Feinbäcker Heberer in front of Hbf and a Starbucks

[@neilfazackerley7758]

I went to Wismar recently and I agree, it was a lovely city and way nicer than I was expecting.

[@Photoboy1948]

My wife and I stayed a few days in Weimar and fell in love. We usually go to towns like Mainz and Munich but this time we took a chance on Weimar after watching a TV series called Tatort: Weimar.

[@Lea-kk9zb]

Thank you for this very interesting video. Have you been in Dresden. As I came to Germany 10+ years ago, I lived there and the city is absolutely beautiful. I am from Latvia, so maybe I was more ready for the post-soviet era vibes there as someone coming from other places. Now I live near Frankfurt and I must say, that this attitude that east Germany is somewhat behind, people are different and not ''the same'' comes very often from Germans themselves.

[@britingermany]

Yes I have visited Dresden. The core of the altstadt is amazing. Breathtakingly beautiful but there are some very run down areas on the outskirts of the city. I agree that East and west germanshave pretty strong ideas about each other

[@Dragumix]

@@britingermany I'm glad you have entered East Germany and liked Thüringen so much! :-) When have you been to Dresden the last time? Besides Dresden, I can also recommend Leipzig, Potsdam and the Sächsische Schweiz.

[@eedragonr]

East Germany was extremely cultural for a very long time. At an individual level.

[@Gwahlur]

Very cool and well articulated video. The East is definitely often overlooked. I might visit some of these places when I get to Germany next time.

[@ruediger113]

Thank you for the perspective on today’s east Germany. I was in Saxony in 1993 and you could still see the buildings waiting to be scrubbed, but also how many had already received their cleaning. I was back at Christmas in 2023 and enjoyed the same friendly interaction with locals. I thought all the old DDR references had been scrubbed away, but was amused at seeing Juri-Gagarin-Ring street sign remaining in Erfurt. Some nostalgia for many folks or no good reason to change the name?

[@britingermany]

Wow that must have been an experience in 1993. Very different to today I imagine

[@SheratanLP]

Egal was man über Russen im Allgemeinen denkt, aber immerhin war Juri Gagarin der erste Mensch im Weltall. Warum sollte man seine Leistung schmälern, nur weil er Russe war ?

[@jgr_lilli_]

The old street names of the socialist building complexes generally have not been changed, except for Josef Stalin Streets that had mostly all been changed by the 70s. But all the Russian/Soviet composers, authors, poets, and socialist/communist politicians and notable people from around the world got to keep their street names: Tchaikowsky, Tziolkovsky, Gagarin, Prus, Allende, Becher, Makarenko, Linné, Majakowski... the list goes on and on.

[@JO-nh6mo]

@@SheratanLP Warum gibt es dann keinen Neil-Armstrong-Ring ? Er war länger als Gagarin im Weltraum. Und der erste am Mond.

[@Ghreinos]

@@JO-nh6mo Juri Gagarin hat anders als Neil Armstrong eine Geschichte mit Erfurt und auch insgesamt passt Juri Gagarin einfach mehr zu Ostdeutschland. Gagarin wurde wie Sigmund Jähn in Ostdeutschland verehrt.

[@samsungtap4183]

I'm so old. I traveled to east German many times. Check point Charlie all that stuff so your video brought back some long forgotten memories mostly good but life was certainly tough but so were the people.

[@mrmusiclover4178]

Very interesting videos, Sir! I am a big fan of Christopher Isherwood (Herr Issyvoo?), who lived and played in Berlin when it was still safe for a Brit to do so prior to the war. Of course, the musical "Cabaret" is based on his "Berlin Diaries" and "Goodbye to Berlin" of the 1930's. Chris moved to the US, where he spent the remainder of his life in Los Angeles. I only visited Germany once, in 1962, when in the U.S. Navy stationed in southern Spain for 2 years. It was Wiesbaden I visited for a couple of days, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but I do remember that compared to Franco-era Spain, Germany in 1962 was quite expensive! Keep up the good work, Sir!

[@Marcus-zb7ov]

Thank you for this brilliant video of my region. ❤ maybe some people take a deeper dive into this now. Germany 🇩🇪 has so much more to offer than Munich, Oktoberfest and Berlin

[@geoffreyhughes9979]

What an enjoyable and informative video.

[@dirkmuller8461]

Fun fact about Thüringen: at the end of WWII it was liberated by western allies in the first place and later "exchanged" for parts of Berlin to russia

[@Ghreinos]

In fact, the Americans even got as far as the Czech Republic. The Americans wanted to advance so far that Stalin would be allowed to continue the bitter fight in Berlin and not advance further towards Berlin, and so that the 2+4 Treaty would be adhered to. The Americans were relatively lucky because a lot of gold and works of art were kept in the cave systems of Thuringia. In addition, the V2 rockets were built in Mittelbau Dora. The Americans quickly took many V2 rockets, the gold and the art treasures with them so that they did not fall into the hands of the Soviets (the Soviets did the same in East Berlin). Unfortunately, the Americans also had to make terrible discoveries because in Mittelbau-Dora many prisoners were working on the V2 under the most terrible conditions and the Buchenwald concentration camp was located near Weimar.

[@C_A_B]

Fun fact, it was not "exchanged " to Russia but the Soviet Union (USSR) - just to be historically accurate!

[@gloverfox9135]

@@C_A_B”corporate needs you to find the difference between these 2 pictures “ >shows picture of Russia and USSR >”they’re the same thing” The USSR was just a red Russian empire

[@boomme3598]

Very much enjoyed your commentry and it gave me some food for thought against my own ideas about East Germany. I have worked with many younger people who moved West and I presume there is less entrepreneurialship as there has been a brain drain. However, the universities are popular, especially Erfurt. Dresden and Leipzig probably will be more shaped by the eastern feel than those you mentioned, but are great places to visit too. The good thing about the unification tax has been at least the rebuilding of east Germany with super infrastructure and this is noticeable when you visit other former German cities that are still run down like Breslau. Balancing the income gap is a central planners excuse to keep centrally planning instead of letting free markets find their own natural levels.

[@smallmeadow1]

I will probably never get the chance to visit Europe, and Germany in particular. I would definitely visit eastern Germany. I remember hearing about the construction of the Berlin Wall when I was in kindergarten or 1st grade. I thought reunification would never come. We are so fortunate to be able to see these countries. There will always be those people, in all countries, who want to discourage and hurt foreigners, but there are always people who recognize the opportunities that come from encounters. I am unsure of the location of my German (Prussian) ancestry, but part of it is probably Mecklenburg.

[@barbsmart7373]

Lovely comment.

[@britingermany]

I do home you get the chance to visit at some point

[@AlexanderLehmann-c6z]

A mid summer concert on Wartburg castle is like a time travel 800 years back in time...

[@DiannVonDenWoelfen]

It is true that in the East we have always earned a lot less than in the West. At first, it could be somehow justified by the lower prices we had to pay for food and rent. However, those prices are now comparable with those in the West and yet, our salaries have not caught up.

[@britingermany]

Yes I know. They got the short straw with wages. That's why it's s struggle to attract skilled workers there

[@DiannVonDenWoelfen]

@@britingermany True, but there are still those who want to live here despite the low wages, us, for example. We love it here and could not imagine living anywhere else in Germany.

[@robenglish416]

I really prefer the eastern part to the western because it’s a calmer pace! Really like Weimar but also found Dresden interesting and more beautiful than last time I was there 2007 (revisited this summer 2024). Eisenhüttenstadt is a favourite in architecture perspective but there are so many lovely places.

[@cozmicpretzscher]

I live in East Germany, just near Wittenberg Lutherstadt, really like living here. Have visited Weimar, wonderful place. I've visited the Harz many times and I definitely prefer the east part. I also lived in Berlin Baumschulenstraße for 16 years, can't see my self ever living in the UK again.

[@britingermany]

Sounds like you're practically a local

[@cozmicpretzscher]

@@britingermany lol yeah, but love East Germany. The world's best kept secret.

[@christopherx7428]

Quedlinburg is magnificent, but it is of course not in Thüringen. There are many lovely places in East Germany.

[@andrewwhitworth8608]

Toured Germany 9 years ago on a motorbike. Spent more time in Saxony than anywhere else. People were friendly and welcoming. Only difficulty was that the second language for all adults was Russian. I can't speak German or Russian, so communication was difficult at times. I can especially recommend August Horch Motor Museum in Zwickau. The East is less affluent than the West, but the difference was no more than the difference between the North and South of England.

[@guycrew3973]

They may have been for forcibly divided for 45 years but they’ve been willingly unified for over 30 years so it makes sense that the divide is not that strong anymore

[@Apodeipnon]

Ah, barely anyone speaks Russian. They had it in school, but that doesn't create fluent speakers, especially now decades later.

[@fireplace2330]

I visited Dresden before covid and it shattered all of my preconceptions about East Germany. The whole city center is immaculate. The streets are spotless and public infrastructure is amazing, much better than West Germany in my opinion.

[@IndieUpbeats]

Thank you! Yes, I am comparing places in the west and east for a move, so I really appreciate your firsthand perspective here.

[@britingermany]

Oh that sounds exciting. Good luck with the move

[@johnhanson5943]

East Germans still remember a Big Brother criminal regime - and are more awake to the dangers of a new even more odious Big Brother a’la the Oligarchy. They also still remember community spirit due to past tough times shared together - and I personally find them on the whole far more pleasant/friendly than the people of Hessen / Hessia. I pray we can together find a way to defend personal sovereignty, freedom, a real democracy, our culture, Christian roots and, thereby, peace.

[@Fr33xII]

I just stumbled across your channel and this video was super interesting and well made! Subscribed!

[@BobbiDoll]

Most of my favorite places are in East Germany. I hope to be going back there again and again.

[@dennismenace1243]

I totally like all your Videos. It's very comforting hearing you speak, not at least cause i'm german and you like it ;)

[@helgaherbstreit5102]

I am from Bavaria and Thüringen is my favourite holiday destination.

[@pbrito1868]

Excelente vídeo! Obrigado :)

[@Gert-DK]

Real estate. Even "West Germany" has a lot of rented housing. Much more than countries around them. One of the reasons is of course WWII. After the war, a lot of housing had to be build fast, same in East Germany. I guess renting still is the norm, at least in the cities. When the Soviet collapsed, DR (Danish BBC) had a reportage from one of the cities in the Soviet. That 30 minutes reportage complete changed my view on things. A guy was interviewed, he wasn't that keen on communism, but he was that keen on capitalism either. He was very scared of loosing he's job. Maybe we do not live like Kings, but at least we have job, and earn to the food. Between the lines, it was like he said: "Maybe you like capitalism, but I prefer what I got". That interview I still remember. TIP for all: If you go to Berlin for a holiday, do go to the old East Berlin, it really has a good vibe. Look for a place along Prinzlauerberg Alle'. I have been there several times. West Berlin is just a standard Western city compared to East Berlin.

[@agn855]

Prenzlauer Berg (Allee)

[@britingermany]

Yes Berlin is always worth a visit. I always recommend skipping between east and west. You can still feel the difference. Even today

[@afjo972]

I study in Berlin. Unfortunately at the technical university which is in former West-Berlin. It’s right in the centre of West-Berlin (Charlottenburg, Kurfürstendamm) which was an independent WEALTHY city before it was incorporated in Berlin in 1920. The Kurfürstendamm is still full of high-end stores like Gucci, Louis Vuitton,… but apart from that it looks like a third-world country. Capitalism has failed in West-Berlin. Graffiti everywhere, run-down 50s/60s-buildings, the homelessness is very visible, criminal migrants,… I wish I could study at the Humboldt university which is in East Berlin

[@Gert-DK]

@@afjo972 The main reason that I like East Berlin is the vibes. The atmosphere is special. Find a little kiosk and have a coffee at the sidewall. It is so relaxing. It is hard to explain. West Berlin is just another city in Europe, nothing special, at least to me.

[@CordeliaWagner1999]

Part of my family lives in Berlin, Prenzlauer Berg. It's pretty pricy and the people are very unklare of Real World pzobaround them, but somewhat arrogant to think only they know how the World should be. Everybody is different, I can't stand it there.

[@EllenFelicity]

Hope I get to visit Thüringen soon :-) I'm just coming to the end of a trip to Saxony and it has been amazing ❤

[@lynnm6413]

I visited my best friends from University in Mecklenburg Vorpommern and Berlin. Whereas Kreuzberg met all the preconceived ideas I had, Stettin, Wismar and Boltenhagen shocked me to the core. So many beautifully restored, freshly painted buildings, no atrocious cement blocks from the 60-80‘s anywhere to be seen as I was used to from my own ugly townhall in Schwelm….it was magical! I discovered a lot of resentment and complaining about ‚dire neglect‘ from the relatives of my friend though, in face of all the millions that had been raised by the Solidarity tax, this made me quite impatient and angry. I have lived in the Ruhrpott for my first 20 years, and let me tell you, it‘s time the Soli is being allocated to regions in need, no matter if in the West or the East. The Ossis need to learn personal responsibility, instead of pointing fingers and complaining how ‚bad things are‘ in the East!

[@britingermany]

It's a complex situation. One which I still fully don't understand. Many East Germans still talk lovingly of the DDR and morn it's passing...

[@lynnm6413]

@@britingermany there were certainly made errors by the Treuhand, but what many East Germans lack the economics to understand that there was little use trying to keep 50 year outdated and insolvent businesses alive that had never even been profitable during GDR times. The romantization of the GDR is called OSTALGIE in German and is the most ridiculous rewriting of recent history we have in Germany, on par with the wild savage Winnetou by Karl May who never even visited the US

[@raymondlaurence980]

Jammern auf hohem Niveau....they need a bit of Vitamin G...gratitude.

[@lynnm6413]

@@britingermany funny how my comment about historic revision à la OSTALGIE got removed…triggered someone, I suppose… Touchy, touchy Ossis

[@catherinedelossantos7232]

Ok I will bite. I am a person of color who has been living in Erfurt for 16 years now, so I have an outsider's perspective on this. I have never lived in the "Alten Bundesländern." I find the comments on this thread increadibly unfair to East Germans. 1) East and West Germans pay Soli. I have been paying soli ever since I have started working in Germany. East Germans have paid Soli since it was implemented. So I am not sure where "gratitude" comes into this. 2) West German companies economically crippled the East by buying out East German companies that could compete with them in an open market system. Then the companies were dissolved. Please do research on the Treuhand system. 3) any profits from the planned economy in the former GDR went to prop up the Soviet economy. The GDR never stood a chance economically. All I am saying is well documented. Money went into making things look pretty instead of implementing a sustainable economy that would benefit the area long-term. Maybe instead of attacking a whole half of the country, try to see why they would feel insecure enough to vote for a fascist political party. Then act from there.

[@Rachotilko]

First of all, East Germany (and especially Thuringia) was a cultural superpower in late mediaeval, early modern and enlightenment eras. After all, this part of Europe gave the world Johann Sebastian Bach among many others. Besides that, being fellow former eastern-blocker (I am Slovak), I deeply sympathize with desire of Eastern Germans to preserve their cultural heritage, even if that means aversion to prospect of becoming globalized melting pot. I visited several of Thuringian cities in 2018, but I was not shocked by its cultural richness - I was well prepared for that.

[@jonathangammond3019]

As a Brit from Wrexham the real dissonance you notice when visiting Germany and France is between how the French and German towns and cities look so prosperous and well cared for, yet we know political discontent with the current state of affairs mirrors that in the UK.

[@britingermany]

Hi Jonathon. Interesting points. Yes I do think that much of Europe is experiencing similar challenges regarding the cultural and economic climate. Unfortunately I do think that the north of the U.K. is struggling more than many Western European countries. But hey. Maybe Rob and Ryan can make Wrexham great again 😉

[@bryantwhitis6446]

Great video, it's fascinating to explore east Germany

[@britingermany]

Thank you. Yes it is indeed. I'd like to see more

[@rosshart9514]

If you compare a city's cultural and political importance to its size, Weimar might be the most relevant city in Germany.

[@ageoflove1980]

Stayed in Arnstadt for 5 nights earlier this year. A quiet little town on the edge of the Thuringian Forest. The historic centre is beautifully preserved and its a great place to base yourself for hiking around the enormous forests nearby. And I was pretty much the only tourist in town by the looks of it. So rare these day to find places that are still authentic, but there are plenty left in Germany and especially the east. I hope it stays that way and that mass tourism will never become a thing there. Of course in bigger cities like Erfurt and Weimar there are tourists, but its far from crowded. I ended up in a local bar in Arnstadt a couple of nights and met some very friendly people there. I was invited to join some younger lads to play a card game and another night I was again invited at the big table by some other locals and not before long, the beer and Obstler was flowing and we ended up talking deep in to the night. All in all, a great experience. And im not even German but Dutch and while my German is not the best, this was not a problem at all and people were extremely welcoming and patient while I tried to say what I wanted. So yeah, couldnt have asked for more, it was pretty much the perfect hiking trip.

[@rich11a15]

In 2006 my wife and I spent a lovely evening having drinks and snacks with a couple from Leipzig although they had no English,and we had very little German, we had a phrase book. We learned from them that many people from the DDR were not ecstatic about reunification, They missed the superb health service, the family support, the free or cheap holidays, good beer and low prices, they also said that so long as you were not some kind of subversive, you had little to fear from the state. Morality and family life was strongly promoted and rewarded, and the borders were secure! very secure.❤

[@mattyonythebox]

Great to see you putting Weimar on the map. I have lived in Leipzig since 2009 and moved to Weimar in 2023... it's a fabulous city. And yes, Thuringia is incredibly friendly.

[@urbanmyth1519]

This part of Germany had to stand almost unbearable brain drains. 3,9 million left before 1961. Another 2 to 3 million after the fall of the wall starting 1989. Also, 1990 they came late to the party and they came with almost nothing except their skills which were unfortunately no longer needed after 1990 so unemployment skyrocketed to 25% or 30% or even highee. They also had been kept down for a long time as they had no "connections" or so called "Vitamin B".

[@juniatapark54]

I used to visit East Germany when it was East Germany, the GDR. It was poorer and shabbier than the west but it was changing, buildings that were ruins in the 1970's were reconstructed by the '80's. One side of a street would look like the 1930's depression while the other side was being painted and fixed up. The media says the GDR was insular, but you could see Vietnamese, Mozambicans and other foreigners in cities and towns. Westerners stuck out though.

[@Larkinchance]

Do not minimize the devastation as a result WW2 and the Russian and US invasion. The USSR wanted material reparations but the West received generous support. in 1972 as a young long-hair I visited Berlin. I took the train through the DDR. For a young person, it was an adventure. I went again in Dec89. The Wall was coming down. We smoked and drank and talked about a bright future... It seemed like the only people worried were the “Joint Chiefs at the Pentagon.” The US did not read the writing on the ruins of the Berlin Wall. They chose unilateralism instead of building a new world. Because people ignore our own history, they do not see the dreadful irony of current events. Early on in this conflict, I commented that we were digging up the ghosts of WW2. Thank you for this video

[@e-drummer2479]

Oh, seeing these pictures - what do I miss Europe’s historic city and town centers. Where people spend time to sit down for tea, coffee or ice cream. Cafés and restaurants, tables on the sidewalks where you sit and watch, and the waiter does not kick you out with the bill. Hugged by beautiful architecture that generations before you have enjoyed and that will be there when you are long gone. The US just does not have that, the urbanism they had was killed decades ago. Hiding in the suburbs and stupid malls on green fields. While they are trying to revive city centers, there is no comparison to Europe. I want to go back when I retire. Greetings from Ohio.

[@aidavogt8755]

Thanks for the information

[@jmolofsson]

Thanks! Married to a literary studies graduate, I've long been thinking of a slow tour in Germany, now when we've retired. A few years ago, we visited Dresden. But that was en route to Transylvania, and just 2-3 nights. Next trip should be just culturally relevant Städte in Germany. You've given new impetus to my plan! 😊

[@britingermany]

Perfect! You won’t regret it 😀

[@kanalhopper9125]

Risk aversion is a central feature of German mentality, no matter if its East or West Germany. Entrepreneurialism has a negative connotation so it is no surprise that the country is behind when it comes to starting a company.

[@britingermany]

But it seems even more pronounced in the east

[@holger_p]

Avoid risk of your own is one thing. Blaming others for taking a risk is another level. One is to protect people from failure, the other is kind of "holding a criminal back from exploiting people".

[@HelenaMikas]

For a truly unbalanced country, view UK where North of Watford Gap life dies . The majority of Germans prefer to rent which is a well run system here .I would never go back to buying a house .No idea how some found Leipzig a grey mess .The Alt Stadt and beyond is beautiful .Have travelled a lot in my 30+years here and the former east is beautiful....

[@Lat265]

Government universities are free in Germany, but in England you pay 11,000 euros per year.

[@benzminibusdoc]

With regards to 'anti-consumerism', it much easier to practice in an environment of scarcity 😢

[@haardkaar]

I will be flying to Berlin 9th July 2024 to attend a music festival in Sandersleben over the weekend. I will have a hire car and drive around a bit crossing over from Sachen-Anhalt to Thuringia. I will check out the Harzbahn, Brocken (old spy outpost) and probably the vehicle museum in Eisenach. Also the numerous old border monuments. Please, anyone feel free to give a hint what to see and do.

[@marvin3935]

Quedlinburg town, Kyffhäuser monument, Buchenwald memorial, Mödlareuth split village, ... depends on where your focus lies.

[@haardkaar]

​@@marvin3935 Thank you very much. Buchenwald ofcourse and Mittelbau-Dora is a must. I do enjoy history and urbex, there is a lot of that in Germany. I probably check out a few Soviet remains around Jüterbog on the way down south also. There is more to see than I have time for in a week, that is for sure.

[@Tobi-ln9xr]

East Germany has a severe image problem. I recently visited Wittenberg in Saxony which is literally the birthplace of evangelism and lutherism and also was the place where Martin Luther nailed his 95 thesis on the door of the local church which was the beginning of the reformation. And that place was COMPLETELY EMPTY except for two American tourists. I think it’s a shame that the German government doesn’t encourage tourism in that area because it could have a lot of potential and also be very good for the local economies. Especially events like the Euros, which are currently, could’ve been used to shift the focus towards East Germany especially in hindsight of future tourists and visitors. Even beautiful cities like Potsdam which is right next to Berlin are hardly visited by foreigners. But instead of doing that, the German government thinks it’s a good idea that most of the tournament takes place in the absolute ugliest part of Germany (Northrhine-Westphalia and the Rhineland) I think most things that you expected East Germany to be, you can probably mostly find in West Germany like run down cities and industrial wasteland…

[@sagrud]

As someone from Erfurt living far enough away in germany to travel only one time a year to Thüringen its alway nice to hear and see some comments on my hometown - and Jena, where i studied 04:00 in the late days of the GDR the goverment wanted to remove the old and run down medieval houses of the Erfurt town centre and many many Erfurter resistet against this, thus preventing this destruction and giving the chance that after the reunification our town was rebuild to all its current look