Title:

Hidden Behind the Wall: West German State Building and the Emergence of the Iron Curtain

Author(s):

Schaefer, Sagi

Date:

2011

Type:

Articles

Department:

History

Volume:

44

Permanent URL:

http://hdl.handle.net/10022/AC:P:13257

Book/Journal Title:

Central European History

Abstract:

It is widely accepted that the inter-German border was constructed by East German authorities to halt the emigration to the west, which had damaged the East German economy and undermined the East German state agencies' power. This article argues that this is an inaccurate understanding, which mistakenly treats perceptions and insights gained from studying the Berlin Wall as representative of the mostly rural border between East and West Germany. It emphasizes crucial transformations of frontier society during the 1950s, highlighting the important role of western as well as eastern policy in shaping them.

Subject(s):

European history

DOI:

http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0008938911000410

Item views:

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