German Life magazine

Hmmm. Who’s nostalgic for the old East? Better times than now, and a return to those days would be so nice? Article could shed interesting light.

Perhaps it would more accurate to say certain aspects of life in the former East Germany. Like old East German brands, toys, tv shows, furniture, egg holders, etc.

Dave, come help us finish cleaning out my in-laws apt in Croatia. We probably have many of those items. We found my MIL’s little red book with a record of all her volunteer assignments. Such as helping rebuild small villages and planting trees, vegetable gardens after WWII. Very interesting items. When we were in Dubrovnik last September we went to the Red History museum just outside the old town in Gruz. Almost everything there my husband remembered having in their apt. I joked with the worker if they needed any more items I could donate some.

That sounds really interesting, Dave - I will have to look for that.

As far as Ostalgie, there were many people who were upset when then wall went down. Did anyone ever see the movie, Good Bye Lenin? Very interesting and funny look at a young man who tried to keep his sick mother from learning that her beloved nation of East Germany as she knew it had disappeared. But I do think you're right in that the current Ostalgie is devoted to the household items and other things that were prevalent back then.

Barbara -- The cleaning out of the apartment sounds like quite an experience. The little red book sounds like a treasure.

Mardee -- I have seen the movie Good Bye, Lenin (and have visited the head of Lenin that was dangling from the helicopter in the movie -- it's in a museum in the Spandau Citadel at the edge of Berlin). I enjoy talking with former East Germans; it's nice to get the non-victor's history of East Germany.

The magazine and it’s articles sound very interesting. When we stayed in Quedlinburg for a month in 2012 we found a city center store called Öst Ecke that was full of food items, toys, etc like those sold in the former East. It even had a food counter where people could buy a hot dog and a brand of soda not commonly found. When we went back to Quedlinburg for a day trip in 2016 we discovered that the store had closed. Maybe nostalgia wasn't as strong as the owners had hoped, it was a very nicely positioned and set up store. I’d bought a müesli cereal bowl there and had hoped to get another.

German Life was ( is? ) sold at our local Barmes and Noble. Subscription is $24.95 for 6 issues per year. Nice magazine

Thanks, Stephen - there's a B&N near me. I will check to see if they carry it.

German Life has reworked its website so that it now gives the first couple of paragraphs of at least some of the articles in the current edition, but the "read more" link takes you to a form to get a print subscription. It gives you an idea of what the writing is like. The print version has many photos with articles, which I like.

https://germanlife.com/