DDR German

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The German language developed differently in East Germany (DDR), during its existence as a separate state from 1949 to 1990, from the German of West Germany because of significant differences in the country's political and socio-cultural environment. Additionally, from the late 1960s onwards the political leaders of the DDR were intent on affirming the independence of their state by "isolationist linguistic politics"^[1] with the objective of demarcating East Germany from West Germany by actively reducing the unity of the German language.^[2]

This political effort did not amount to the creation of a new language in the DDR but brought about a particular usage of the language and of linguistic behaviours specific to it,^[3] felt not in syntax or grammar, but in vocabulary,^[4] and manifesting itself in both the official and non-official spheres.^[5]

The result was that the German of the former East Germany also includes two separate vocabularies, both different from the German of the

Examples

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2021)

• Führerschein (driver's licence) – Fahrerlaubnis (Replacement of the word Führer)
• Handelsorganisation, HO – state retail business
• Intershop – hard currency (later also Forum checks) retail store
• Kader – personnel
• Kommerzielle Koordinierung, KoKo – secret commercial enterprise
• Nichtsozialistisches Wirtschaftsgebiet (NSW) - Non-socialist economic area which were countries that were not a member of Comecon
• Partei – Socialist Unity Party of Germany
• Plattenbau
  – large panel system-building
• Stasi – state security service
• Westpaket – parcel from West Germany
• Winkelement – small flag
• der antifaschistische Schutzwall – Berlin Wall^[10]
• Kollektiv – work team
• Tal der Ahnungslosen (lit. "Valley of the Clueless") – two regions not able to receive TV programming from West Germany^[11]
• Broiler – Western 'Brathähnchen'
• Blaue_Fliesen, blaue Kacheln – Deutsche Mark (West German "hard" convertible currency, especially the 100 DM note)

Controversies

• Jahresendflügelfigur – has been probably invented as a parody of state language.^[12]
• Erdmöbel – allegedly coffin

References