East Germany (TheodoresTomfooleries)

German Democratic Republic Deutsche Demokratische Republik (German)
Flag Emblem
Motto: "Proletarier aller Länder, vereinigt Euch!" "Workers of the world, unite!"
Anthem: "Auferstanden aus Ruinen" ("Risen from Ruins")
Location of East Germany in Europe
Capital and	East Berlin 52°31′N 13°24′E
Official languages	German Sorbian
Religion	See Religion in East Germany
Demonym(s)	East German German
Government	Unitary Marxist-Leninist one-party socialist republic
• General Secretary State Chairman	Hans-Joachim Willerding
• Chairman of the Council of Ministers	Sahra Wagenknecht
Legislature	Volkskammer
Area
• Total	108,875 km2 (42,037 sq mi) (106)
Population
• 2023 estimate	17,911,630
• Density	164/km2 (424.8/sq mi) (82)
GDP (PPP)	2024 estimate
• Total	$1.326 trillion (30th)
• Per capita	$74,030 (14th)
GDP (nominal)	2024 estimate
• Total	$494.39 billion (32nd)
• Per capita	$27,601 (42nd)
Gini (2023)	18.5 low
HDI (2023)	0.815 very high
Currency	East German mark (DDM)
Time zone	UTC+1
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2
Calling code	+37
ISO 3166 code	[[Wikipedia:ISO 3166-2:DD|DD]]
Internet TLD	.dd

The German Democratic Republic (German: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, DDR, GDR), in English commonly called East Germany, is a country in the eastern region of Central Europe, bordered by West Germany (the Federal Republic of Germany) to the west, Poland to the east, and Czechoslovakia to the south, with a 373 km coastline on the Baltic Sea. Its capital and largest city is East Berlin, which is under political dispute. Other major cities include Leipzig, Dresden, Rostock and Karl-Marx-Stadt.

The territory of modern day East Germany was once ruled by various polities and inhabited by various peoples, notably the Germanic and Slavic peoples. By the late modern period, the territory of modern East Germany fell under the control of Saxony, provinces of Prussia, various Thuringian polities, and Mecklenburg. These states would later merge to form the modern German nation-state in the late 19th century.

As a result of World War II and Germany's subsequent occupation by the Allies and more specifically the Soviet, the territory of modern day East Germany fell under Soviet control as the Soviet Occupation Zone, with its eastern border being marked by the Oder and Neisse rivers. The German Democratic Republic, or East Germany, was founded as an independent state on 8 October 1949, after the western allied occupation zone became the Federal Republic of Germany, or West Germany. East Germany, led by the Marxist-Leninist Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED), became a socialist republic under influence by the Soviet Union, while West Germany became a parliamentary democracy that would later align itself with NATO. As a result of political differences, both German states saw themselves as the legitimate government of all of Germany, and thus refused to recognize each-other as independent states. This policy was exacerbated by East German aggression through the formation of the Berlin Wall and strict border control, brought on by East German perceptions of West German aggression. In the early 1970s, as a result of West German Chancellor Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik policies, West Germany and East Germany's relationships improved, they mutually recognized each-other and established relations. East Germany subsequently dropped a mission of German re-unification from their constitution in 1974. West Germany has not, and continues to claim East Germany as well as the former eastern territories of Germany.

East Germany is among the richest countries in the Eastern Bloc, but falls behind its western neighbor in several areas. Political opposition in the country is banned and closely monitored, with all power falling to the Socialist Unity Party, which has several satellite parties. East Germany is a member of the United Nations, COMDEA, the World Health Organization, and others.