East Side Story

East-Side-Story II: Eisenhüttenstadt

The socialist model city of Eisenhüttenstadt (formerly Stalinstadt) was built since 1950 to accommodate the steel workers of the ironworks combine and consisted in the beginning only of incomers. Until 1989 the city grew continuously to up to 50.000 inhabitants, then shrinking dramatically and presently has half its former population.

For the exhibition Eisenhüttenstadt between Model and Museum organized by Kunstverein Neuzelle we questioned the role official photos played in documenting the exemplary development of the model city. Searching for the evolving of the 'New Man' Eisenhüttenstadt was extensively photographed over the years.

 

12. Story: View onto Eisenhüttenstadt



The original photo is from Heinz Sturm and was created on August 21, 1954 on behalf of ADN (General German News Service), the only news and picture agency in the GDR.
Today it is stored in the Federal Archives in Koblenz.

Caption:
At the same time as the 'J.W. Stalin' ironworks combine, the first socialist city of the German Democratic Republic, Stalinstadt, was built in the immediate vicinity of the plant. Working people who spend their vacation here look just as proud and full of admiration on what has been achieved here, as do the people who have found a new home here. A cafe restaurant will be opened shortly, part of which is already in operation, which can compete with the restaurants 'Warsaw' and 'Budapest' in Berlin.

Note from the Federal Archives:
Images with the signature »Bild 183 ADN« may contain ideologically colored texts that have been added to the images, in some cases they describe the actual picture content incorrectly or judiciously.

The reenactment was done with members of the KUZ dance group on top of a high-rise building on Diehloer Straße.
The photographer at the time was probably standing on top of a hill where the  restaurant ‘Huckel‘ was once located. Today, tall trees, thickets and undergrowth no longer allow a clear view of the city from this location.

13. Story: In the Children's Home



Original photo: probably Martin Lücke.
From the photo book 'Stalinstadt. New Life - New People' by Heinz Colditz and Martin Lücke, Kongress-Verlag Berlin, 1958.
Food distribution in a children's home where the children had to reside from Monday morning to Friday evening, so that their mothers could go to work.

During the reenactment in the building of a former children's home with members of the KUZ dance group, we noticed that the original photo must have been shot in a mirrored twin building on Erich-Weinert-Allee.

14. Story: Cops and Robbers



Original photo: probably Martin Lücke.
From the photo book 'Stalinstadt. New Life - New People' by Heinz Colditz and Martin Lücke, Kongress-Verlag Berlin, 1958.

Mr. R. standing in front of the pillar was at the time about 8 years old.
He remembers that as a child he liked to play Cops and Robbers imitating the police uniform with a jump rope. The smaller children were allowed to run through the courtyard shortly before lunch - on the photo it is 11.20 a.m. - so that they were well hungry.
Mr. R. cannot remember the photographer. At that time he did not get a print either and did not discover the picture until years later in a magazine.

Mr. R. wanted to re-enact this photo for his 70th birthday. He is just as old as Eisenhüttenstadt and has lived here since he was 4 years old.
His life summary:

I've lived my life as it was supposed.
But also how I wanted it.

The picture was recreated with pupils and teachers from the Pestalozzi School.

15. Story: The Shoe



Even this original photo from Mrs. C.'s private collection is not really private. It was probably shot in 1981 for a brigade diary at the polyclinic.

Photos were supposed to loosen up these monthly reports, which were found to be a nuisance to be kept. Officially, the brigade diary was considered:

"An essential factor in building socialist consciousness and thus indispensable for fulfilling the main economic task. It should reflect in as diverse a way as possible and continuously all important events about the socialist work, learning and life of the brigade."
from: How do we write our brigade diary, Ursula Langspach-Steinhaußen, 1970

Almost 40 years later, Mrs. C. recreates the scene from her professional life.