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Chapter 4 - Material Realizations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 January 2021

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Summary

What we are thus arguing is not simply that ideology permeates the alleged extra-ideological strata of everyday life, but that this materialization of ideology in the external materiality renders visible inherent antagonisms that the explicit formulation of ideology cannot afford to acknowledge (Slavoj Žižek, 1996).

Sometimes posing a question is the same as answering it. At first glance, this certainly applies to the question of how well the East German state succeeded in delivering its materialist promises. We all know what transpired. We have seen the images of grimy streets, long queues in front of shops, and people so happy to finally get their hands on a few oranges. We have heard them grumbling about the country's material and consumer situation. It was primarily these complaints that drove so many people to the streets in the autumn of 1989. And one year later, these complaints motivated them yet again when it came to deciding their country's future. By voting for German unity, most people were opting for well-equipped shops and the ability to buy fresh fruit all year around. They wanted to end the continual shortages and lack of materials.

Since the East German state was apparently not able to provide acceptable material conditions, it seems obvious to assume that the pact between government and populace did not hold out. Although hard to believe, the contrary was true. This chapter will show that the GDR's difficult material situation actually functioned as one of the main pillars sustaining the alliance between state and citizenry.

Severe, Rational, and Centrally Planned

In the autumn of 1992, when I was in search of an appropriate fieldwork location, I made a short trip to the former GDR during which I visited various towns and cities. Apart from the appointments I had made in advance, my first impressions of the country were mainly visual. Wherever I came, I curiously viewed the streets, the public spaces, the tall apartment blocks in the suburbs, the interiors of the libraries and town halls, the decoration in the few shops not yet renovated, and the little East German neon signs that were still there. I happened to visit Weimar on the day when the municipal rubbish collectors picked up large items, thus allowing me a glimpse of the remnants of people's interiors that were now piled up on the side of the street.

Type
Chapter
Information
Material Fantasies
Expectations of the Western Consumer World among East Germans
, pp. 75 - 106
Publisher: Amsterdam University Press
Print publication year: 2012

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