Dirk lived in the town of Bernau about 15 miles from East Berlin. Just outside Bernau was Wandlitz the residential estate of the East German leadership. As a result, Bernau had one of the highest densities of Stasi facilities in East Germany.
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Dirk shares details of his childhood growing up in a Plattenbau block of flats where his school friends were children of NVA officers, Stasi officers, and Soviet Army officers.
He describes fascinating details of school life and visits the homes of his school friends in Bernau. However, his parents clashed with his school teachers as they bullied Dirk for wearing western clothing.
We also hear how his parent’s anti-soviet view originated with his grandparents fleeing the World War 2 Soviet invasion of East Prussia and an Uncle who was arrested and disappeared in Berlin in 1945.
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Radio GDR
If you are interested in East Germany we can highly recommend our friends over at Radio GDR.