The German Democratic Republic (East Germany; GDR) existed from 1949 to 1990 as an authoritarian socialist state embedded in the power structure of the Soviet-dominated Eastern Bloc. As arguably the most prosperous state socialist system of its time, the GDR was held up as an example of relatively high standards of living in a country with Soviet-style leadership. Yet, it also struggled to shake off poor comparisons to the Federal Republic of Germany, its significantly wealthier, liberal democratic, and capitalist twin to the West. Both in terms of economic development and claims to rightful ownership of German cultural traditions, the socialist East constantly vied to present itself as the better alternative model for German society.

During this history happy hour, historian John Gillespie explores the representation of beer, a critical German cultural commodity, on East German television, radio, and film. He pays special attention to the state media’s attempts to strike a balance between preaching moderation in the name of public health and co-opting the cultural legacy of beer, particularly for working class men. The attempt to accomplish both goals simultaneously resulted in a seemingly contradictory program of public messaging that reveals efforts by the socialist leadership to calibrate their vision of a modern socialist future in order to accommodate the persistent power of beer as a German cultural commodity.

This Frühlingsfest takes place via Zoom and Facebook Live at 5:30pm CST.