Born in the GDR

By Hester Vaizey,

Book cover of Born in the GDR: Life in the Shadow of the Wall

Book description

The changes that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 were particularly dramatic for East Germans. With the German Democratic Republic effectively taken over by West Germany in the reunification process, nothing in their lives was immune from change and upheaval: from the way they voted, the…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

1 author picked Born in the GDR as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

The author of this non-fiction book interviews eight people who were born and raised in East Germany’s totalitarian regime and have had to adjust to a new life after the Wall comes down. I liked this book because it gave me a different perspective on East Germany and how people felt about the regime. Turns out it was a little more complicated than simply thinking everything was bad. And once the Wall came down, many things became difficult for easterners, particularly the higher cost of living and the scorn they experienced from westerners. 

Want books like Born in the GDR?

Our community of 11,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Born in the GDR.

Browse books like Born in the GDR

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in East Germany, Germany, and the Berlin Wall?

East Germany 30 books
Germany 484 books
The Berlin Wall 31 books