TY - JOUR
T1 - Hidden behind the wall
T2 - West German state building and the emergence of the Iron Curtain
AU - Schaefer, Sagi
PY - 2011/9
Y1 - 2011/9
N2 - It is widely accepted that the inter-German border was constructed by East German authorities to halt the emigration to the west, which had damaged the East German economy and undermined the East German state agencies' power. This article argues that this is an inaccurate understanding, which mistakenly treats perceptions and insights gained from studying the Berlin Wall as representative of the mostly rural border between East and West Germany. It emphasizes crucial transformations of frontier society during the 1950s, highlighting the important role of western as well as eastern policy in shaping them.
AB - It is widely accepted that the inter-German border was constructed by East German authorities to halt the emigration to the west, which had damaged the East German economy and undermined the East German state agencies' power. This article argues that this is an inaccurate understanding, which mistakenly treats perceptions and insights gained from studying the Berlin Wall as representative of the mostly rural border between East and West Germany. It emphasizes crucial transformations of frontier society during the 1950s, highlighting the important role of western as well as eastern policy in shaping them.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=82955235223&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S0008938911000410
DO - 10.1017/S0008938911000410
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AN - SCOPUS:82955235223
SN - 0008-9389
VL - 44
SP - 506
EP - 535
JO - Central European History
JF - Central European History
IS - 3
ER -