Introduction

Have you been to (East) Berlin, Dresden, Leipzig or Rostock? These cities are located in what was once East Germany.

East Germany is the common name for the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Despite its official name, a single Communist political party, the Socialist Unity Party (SED), ruled the GDR throughout its existence from 1949 to 1990.

The Maps page provides an overview of East Germany's borders and cities. The History page provides a summary of the GDR's history from the end of World War II in 1945 to Germany's reunification in 1990 and includes maps. The Timeline of GDR History features the important dates from the History page with brief descriptions on an interactive timeline.