World War II and After

Yesterday, we visited two museums from the post-World War II period when East Germany was under communist rule. This period was called the "DDR Period." DDR stands for Deutsche Demokratische Republik or "German Democratic Republic." The museums had some really cool spy gear, including special cameras, microphones built into various items, and special machines that read other peoples' mail.  All of this taught me that there was not much "democratic" about this period. Eventually, the people in East Germany were so fed up with the oppression from the Stasi (secret police) and the popaganda (posters and performances that tried to convince people that the government was helping them) and the lack of resources (such as fresh fruit) that they started a revolution. In 1989, the wall that divided East Berlin and West Berlin was smashed down.

This stadium exhibition shows the partnership between the DDR and the USSR

After we visited these museums, we went on a super luxurious speed train from Leipzig to Berlin, where I am now.  It went at 200 kilometers per hour, or 124 miles per hour.  Faster than most cars! It was a really cool experience. Today, we're going to see the remains of the Berlin Wall.

This is my brother, my mom, and me in the speed train.