The disposal of GDR state symbols
With the end of the GDR, its symbols also lost their validity. In the weeks and months leading up to October 3, 1990, public spaces had already undergone visible changes. Signs of SED rule were removed, much of it ending up in bulk waste containers or at flea markets—and later finding its way into museum collections via various detours.
Image gallery
DDR-Fahnen
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But not everything disappeared without a trace. After 1990, intense debates erupted about street names, monuments, and buildings. Today, relics of the GDR are once again present as anchors of identity – both locally and in museums. What does the way we deal with the symbols of the former state reveal about our culture of remembrance?
