More Good Communists

 

More East German actors serving the state with portrayals of western decadence.  Dig the greaser beatnik in the background.  The stamp on the back, "Reproduktion u. Anderungen verboten.  Aenny Jungermann Photoarelier  Rudolstadt, Registr.  Nr. 8"  Rudolstadt is a city in Thuringia, a German state that was onc epart of the East.  

Good Communists

 

There is a stamp on the back, most of which can still be read despite a certain amount of fading.  "Wolfgang Swietek Theaterfotograft, 7033 Leipzig 33, Wilhelm Liebknecht Platz 14"  And the rest has faded into oblivion though at least some of it is a phone number of some kind.  

So, Leipzig was the second largest city in the former East Germany, and Wilhelm Liebknecht was a German revolutionary and one of the founders of the German socialist party so pretty much a hero to East German communists.  I'd love to know what play these two actors are appearing in.  Something revolutionary I'd bet.  Either that or a silly, meaningless comedy.  Even communists love a good laugh now and again. 

Juggling Sombreros

I've decided I'm just too lazy to translate the back of this card, so have at it for anyone who cares.  The real question is who would be entertained by hat jugglers?  It looks like their agent is from Leipzig, East Germany, from what I've read, a fairly dull country, so perhaps tossing sombreros in the air was a big deal to the communist proletariat.  No rock and roll for you! 

Berlin

I've been saving these photos for today.  For those unaware, today is the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.  After the war, Germany was divided into four major zones of occupation.  Soviet, French, British, and American.  Berlin, Germany's capitol, while within the Soviet zone, was also divided among the four powers.  Until 1949, the zones were ruled by military governors.  From 1949 until 1955, civilian High Commissioners.

Take a look at the soldier's shoulder patch, (I needed a magnifying glass, you might have  to click on the image for a bigger window.) to see the word, "Berlin."  Until 1961, U.S. troops in the capitol were known as the Berlin Brigade, after 1961, when construction of the wall began, U.S. Army, Berlin. American troops left Berlin in 1994, after Soviet troops left East Germany. I looked up the insignias, and they're almost identical.  I'm fairly certain, that our soldier is Berlin Brigade, although I'm basing that on the women's clothing.

Now for the fun part.  When the occupation began, it was decided that fraternization between occupying troops and German civilians would not be permitted.  That policy lasted less than a year.  Basically, it was unenforceable.  Single men, single women, the inevitable happened. Go to my Fair Use blog-www.fairuse-wjy.blogspot.com-to see a U.S. Army anti-fraternization poster.