When the older brother gave the reasons why he was moving to East Germany, he mentioned "freedom of speech" as one of them. Since when was there ever freedom of speech in East Germany, let alone in any communist country? Is this just a goof by the character or the screenwriter? Or am I just totally mistaken and there was such thing as freedom of speech in East Germany?
shareHe was confused and lead astray. There were a few West Germans who rallied for communist or socialist goals (there were Americans too!), but those who actually went to East Germany were probably quite shocked.
shareOkay thanks, that sort of answers my question. I can understand some people being deluded during that time. I still dont understand though why he would want to leave a country like West Germany where there was freedom of speech there in the first place? Was West Germany not liberal enough to express certain views?
shareWestern Germany wasn't really a liberal society compared to today. It was rather conservative and a lot of people who where influential on society had their standing just like before the war. And nobody mentioned the war and national-socialism at all. The wall wasn't there and communist influence on Western Germany was really coming directly and unfiltered from the East.
In 1954, the economical gap between both countries wasn't that big, so under propaganda influence people sometimes came to the conclusion that Eastern Germany as a socialist state was the more progressive and more human state. Formally, it was a democratic state for all those years.
People who were old enough in 1954 had witnessed the war and the suppression of the totalist regime the Third Reich was, but this younger generation didn't really have something to compare their situation to. From a distance, the new born socialist state was quite attractive. Everbody is equally appreciated in society, they emphasized the importance of good education for the youth, etc. I can understand that this attracted some young people. The reality was waaay different, though. So this was somehow a 'The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence'-case.
Also, you have to keep in mind that from the early beginnigs until today, socialist political views are more prevalent in German society, comparable to countries like the US. Although it's often more a milder form of socialist or communist view.
So, there was freedom speech and Western Germany surely was more liberal than Eastern Germany, but youth didn't really have much to say in society, just like it was in every other western society. The late 60s pretty much changed that, I think. Before that era, it was a country dominated by old men wearing hats. It was the same in socialist Germany, but they used their propaganda to sell themselves better.
Great explanation there end2endburner. You made me understand the situation much better in that era. So I guess that would never have happened after the 60's with West Germans heading to the East as the contrast became even greater between the two.
shareI think his role was also included to show that all Germans - even those living in the "German Democratic Republic" - were supporting the team (the short scene where he watches TV with the blueshirt youths), and it did something to bolster their self-confidence, too. And at that time, the worker`s rising and the Berlin Wall were yet to come, so some over-optimistic Germans sympathized with the GDR at the time, hoping it to evolve into a state with more social justice and less inequality than Western Germany. Which it did not, as we now know.
When I see the older brother in the movie - though he is a purely fictional character - I pity him for his decision. It would do him not much good to be that outspoken and self-consciuos in the GDR; he would have had plenty of trouble with the authorities.
Quite a clever way to incorporate Eastern Germans in the movie, if you think of it.
You might be right on that.