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BBC Radio 3 - Free Thinking, East Germany BBC Radio 3 - Free Thinking, East Germany

Beyond the Wall really goes beyond the Wall, offering a comprehensive and meticulously researched exploration of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), as well as shedding light on the multifaceted aspects of its history, society, and political landscape. With a nuanced analysis and a wealth of primary sources, Hoyer presents a valuable contribution to the literature on the GDR, providing us with a deeper understanding of this complex and tumultuous period. Hoyer's work stands out for its thoroughness and attention to detail. She skillfully navigates the chronology of the GDR, from its establishment in 1949 to its dissolution in 1990, and examines key political events, economic policies, and social dynamics. By drawing on an extensive range of primary sources, including archival documents, oral histories, and contemporary media, Hoyer paints a vivid and comprehensive picture of life in the GDR. Hachette Book Group is a leading book publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre, the third-largest publisher in the world. Social Media However, the question of the Stasi remained a recurring thought as I read the book. The German Democratic Republic, with its all-pervasive Stasi and political oppression, instilled fear and earned East Germany the reputation of being one of the most severe authoritarian surveillance states. Those familiar with the book Stasiland by Anna Funder will understand the gravity of this. Katja Hoyer (born 1985) [1] is a German historian, journalist and writer. [2] [3] Life and career [ edit ] In Beyond the Wall, acclaimed historian Katja Hoyer sets aside the usual Cold War caricatures of the GDR to offer a kaleidoscopic new vision of this vanished country, revealing the rich political, social, and cultural landscape that existed amid oppression and hardship. Drawing on a vast array of never-before-seen interviews and documents, this is the definitive history of the other Germany, beyond the Wall. Request Desk/Exam Copy

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This book has enlightened me to a lot of what happened in the country and why. I did feel, however, that the really dark stuff was rather glossed over. Yes, the word "dictator" was used a time or two. The number of people Stalin made disappear in horrific circumstances was stated. It is accepted that the Stasi was feared. Mielke was mentioned many times, but not in any real depth. Also, no light was shone on the ordinary citizens who spied on their families, friends, neighbors, colleagues. One of the best young historians writing in English today. . . Well-researched, well-written and profoundly insightful, Beyond the Wall explodes many of the lazy Western cliches about East Germany' Andrew Roberts

BEYOND THE WALL | Kirkus Reviews BEYOND THE WALL | Kirkus Reviews

Was ich auch interessant fand, war wie die DDR in ihrer Anfangsphase (und später auch) um ihre Eigenständigkeit auch gegenüber der UdSSR pochte. Lange hält sich Hoyer mit der Frage auf, ob Stalin wirklich einen "eigenen" deutschen Staat wollte, oder ob er ihn eher widerwillig in Kauf nahm, nachdem sein Plan, die Westbindung von Westdeutschland zu verhindern, gescheitert war. a b Conradi, Peter (2023-06-03). "Katja Hoyer tried to tell a different story about East Germany. Now Germans are furious". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460 . Retrieved 2023-06-03. Change the plan you will roll onto at any time during your trial by visiting the “Settings & Account” section. What happens at the end of my trial? Hoyer brilliantly shows the history of East Germany was a significant chapter of German history, not just a footnote to it or a copy of the Soviet Union. To understand Germany today, we have to grapple with the history and legacy of its all-but-dismissed East.”

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The author's youthfulness helps to assure the inevitable comparison with the Anne Frank diary although over and above the sphere of suffering shared, and in this case extended to the death march itself, there is no spiritual or emotional legacy here to offset any reader reluctance. David Gelber: Chancellors & Chancers - Austria Behind the Mask: Politics of a Nation since 1945 by Paul Lendvai

Beyond the Wall: East Germany, 1949–1990 by Katja Hoyer Beyond the Wall: East Germany, 1949–1990 by Katja Hoyer

Hoyer is becoming the authoritative voice in the English-speaking world for all things German. Thanks to her, German history has the prominence in the Anglosphere it certainly deserves.” If you do nothing, you will be auto-enrolled in our premium digital monthly subscription plan and retain complete access for 65 € per month. Powerfully told, and drawing on a vast array of never-before-seen interviews, letters and records, this is the definitive history of the other Germany, the one beyond the Wall.

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Funder reveals how O’Shaughnessy Blair self-effacingly supported Orwell intellectually, emotionally, medically and financially ... why didn’t Orwell do the same for his wife in her equally serious time of need?’

Beyond the Wall by Katja Hoyer | Hachette Book Group Beyond the Wall by Katja Hoyer | Hachette Book Group

Relations with the Kremlin were perennially mistrustful. The Soviet leadership would have readily sacrificed its comrades in Berlin if that meant securing a neutral, demilitarised Germany. Moscow also disliked warming ties between the two Germanys, though by the end West German bail-outs were keeping the easterners’ economy afloat. The book was not what I expected. Far from being an analysis of the brutality and repression of the regime and the Stasi, it is an upbeat story of a country which had its own identity and got as much right as it got wrong. By way of example, I had no idea that East Germany had the highest proportion of working women of any country in the world (a proportion which, by the way, has declined since reunification). Utterly brilliant.This gripping account of East Germany sheds new light on what for many of us remains an opaque chapter of history. Authoritative, lively, and profoundly human, it is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand post-WW2 Europe.” A fantastic, sparkling book, filled with insights not only about East Germany but about the Cold War, Europe, and the forging of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.”A beyond-brilliant new picture of the rise and fall of the East German state. Hoyer gives us not only pin-sharp historical analysis, but an up-close and personal view of both key characters and ordinary citizens whose lives charted some of the darkest hours of the Cold War. If you thought you knew the history of East Germany, think again. An utterly riveting read.” This is a fascinating history of the DDR, with perspectives that were new to me despite having read a lot about the country’s history. The author focuses often on the personalities and personal experiences of both the powerful and ordinary citizens to show why they acted as they did. I particularly appreciated the more nuanced view of how ordinary citizens felt about their country, the difference in social welfare policies between the DDR and West Germany, and why reunification wasn’t a wholly positive step for East Germans.