One of the interhotel designated for non -communist tourists
Microphones on hotels, money to spend, secret police everywhere. Traveling to the GDR was a real adventure, and there were little to do so.
Contrary to what happens today with the two Koreas, the border of the German Democratic Republic, better known as East Germany or Eastern Germany, controlled by the old USSR, has never been completely “sealed” in Western Germany.
But, as is well known, the inhabitants were not allowed to move around Berlin. Despite this, tourists were easier to travel from side to side. RDA was not, therefore, completely closed to the world: There was tourism, as in North Korea. Only (very) controlled.
Travelers from or to Danish, Swedish, Polacs and CzechoslovaCos airports were allowed to go through the GDR, but the stay was not very pleasant, as explained.
First, the country’s guests were forced to be housed in the same hotel chain, the luxurious Interhotel. This company, founded in the 1960s, had over 30 hotels spread across Germany. But those of 5 stars were reserved only to tourists from non -communist/socialist countries.
However, behind the modern facade, the authorities were: who controlled the hotel chain was the Stasi, the secret policewhich was passing through the Tourism Department. In the hotels, there was Microphones and hidden chambers that spied without consent to the secret conversations of the guests.
Citizens of Comecon (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance of Communist countries) had to stay in hotels – in the same chain – more modest, and small cities and at most with 4 stars. The nCommunists paid about 10 times more.
After reuniting the two Germany, the hotels were sold to other companies.
However, the list of bizarre things was not here: foreign visitors had to send their itineraries to the tourism service (the aforementioned “facade” of the Political Police) and had to register at the police station to the police arrival.
Were also forced to spend a stipulated amount of money a day. Anyone who wanted to fuel the car had to do so in designated bombs.
It was not easy to get authorization to travel to the GDR, and the crossing to the communist side of Germany had to be done at specific point. Even those who could do it should not be satisfied with the facilities – the tourist industry was insignificant during the Cold War.
