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Risen from Ruins: Why the East German anthem is back in the news

And why it's always been controversial - even in the GDR

Katja Hoyer's avatar
Katja Hoyer
Jul 16, 2026
∙ Paid
The instrumental version of the East German Anthem being played at the 25th anniversary of the foundation of the GDR, 1974. Img: Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-N1007-0018 / CC-BY-SA 3.0

One thing I didn’t exp…

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