Ina and Ostalgie
Wow! Ina’s story is very compelling and her vulnerability to share her story is very captivating. It really adds depth to the political issues that were arising and the many effects it had on the East Germans. Something that stuck with me was when Ina said “a divided city is like a person who is missing an arm or leg — there is always something missing.” Throughout history, there has always been some sort of division between states/countries, it was very interesting hearing about the economic and social impacts of Germany’s division.
Ina grew up on a farm and her family relied on their commodities to survive. She speaks about having a cheese business with her family. Although they had some sort of freedom in the market, the government controlled the price and quantity of their product. The DDR had set fixed prices on every product. Even if you were a business owner, it probably never felt like you were truly the owner. This lack of freedom inspired business owners to trade in secret. Ina would often go to the market to ask for coffee but in reality, went over to trade some commodity.
In Ina’s story, she dwelled on how children were seen as innocent and often were taken advantage of. She was sent to the market because no one questioned a child. Ina explains how at an early age you were brainwashed. At the age of 6, she was very excited to become a pioneer and move up in the ranks. Little did she know, her early childhood was filled with political propaganda. She was taught that the East were loving, progressive individuals who valued peace. In addition, was taught that the West was a threat to the East. At an early age, children are still developing and trying to understand the world around them. It doesn’t sit right with me that the government and school system were taking advantage of their oblivious mindset. The East Germans were instilling this political propaganda in hopes that when they grew up, they continue to stay loyal and understand why the division took place.
Ina goes into a specific moment in her childhood education. She had taken note that a German map was only depicting East Germany and the rest of the states were blacked out. This begged the question of why there were black spots. Children are filled with curiosity and Ina being a young child was almost expelled from the school for having this curiosity in her. Nowadays, we value those with strong critical thinking skills yet at some point in history it was frowned upon. It comes to show that certain skills will be showcased only to benefit a specific party. She “felt like a double-tongue child.” Having to say one thing at school and another at home or in public. No one should be living in fear, especially at a young age. She expresses the importance of creating and instilling a safe, comfortable learning environment for students. Rather than tearing them down and making them live in fear, one should encourage them to question everything around them. Curiosity is always mistaken for backstabbing. There is a fine line between wanting to understand why things are done the way they are and purposely wanting to use information for one’s advantage.
Although Ina did have a rough childhood, she didn’t have many regrets (from what I observed). She likes reflecting upon the past and the division. Her eyes brighten up when she talks about finding this specific milk brand in Hungry. Being able to remember and see/feel/taste/touch objects from the past is very special. The way Ina spoke about the museum and seeing a very close replica of her living room was heartwarming. She finds joy in simple things which connects back to the term Ostalgie.
