Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • A former country in Central Europe: "East Germany" refers to a sovereign state that existed from 1949 to 1990, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR). It was established in the Soviet-occupied zone of Germany after World War II and was reunified with West Germany in 1990.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The Berlin Wall was a symbol of the division between East Germany and West Germany.
  • Many people sought to escape from East Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Advanced Usage

• Historical context: The term is used to discuss the Cold War era, the political system of state socialism, and the process of German reunification.
  • The economic policies of East Germany were centrally planned.

Variants and Related Words

• GDR: An acronym for the German Democratic Republic, the official name of East Germany.
  • The GDR was a member of the Warsaw Pact.
• German Democratic Republic: The full formal name of the country.
• East German (adj): Of or relating to East Germany.
  • She collected East German stamps.

Synonyms

• German Democratic Republic (GDR): The official synonym.
• The former GDR: Used to refer to the country in a historical context.

Related Phrases

• The fall of East Germany: Refers to the events leading to the dissolution of the GDR and German reunification in 1989-1990.
  • The fall of East Germany marked the end of the Cold War in Central Europe.

Noun

1. a republic in north central Europe on the Baltic; established by the Soviet Union in 1954; reunified with West Germany in 1990