What is Ossi???

[Ralph P]

Hello all...yesterday I am across a post by AR-11 who is a fellow forum member of which he was making a reply to a new member joining the forum ((link to his post: http://www.wehrmacht-awards.net/foru...ad.php?t=91724))

In his post he had used the word "Ossi" of which I was not familiar with. I sent him a PM to learn more about Ossi and AR-11 sent me this reply with his permission to post it on the open forum.

From AR-11..."Ossi" is called the East-german-people (Ex-"G.D.R.ian") and the "Wessi" is the Ex-F.R.G.ian here in Germany. Originally the West-berlin-inhabitants was called "Ossi", because they lived on the island in the red ocean...

I find it of interest about Ossi and Wessi and am glad I asked the question to learn more.

Thanks AR-11 for the knowledge!!!

[Christophe]

There were several words based on the opposition between "Ost" (East) and West.
Some were official, as "Ostmark"; some not as "Ossi". And just think about the "Ostalgie" that appeared 2 years ago, illustrated by the movie : Good Bye Lenin!

Ch.

[Mike G.]

Goodbye Lenin.

The movie finally made it to American Television. I just saw it last weekend on STARZ. Overall, a good movie.

I'd be interested however in hearing from our former East German members (which total 3 now) and what their perspective on it is, provided they have seen it?

[Christophe]

I would also being interested, as this "Ostalgie" has generated a long debate in Germany, both East and West... Is this debate still the case today ?

Ch.

[Thälmannpionier]

Hi

Let me try to give you a bit Info about that Terms "Ossi" and "Wessi".

As far as I can remember,when I was a Kid(before 1989) the Word "Wessi" was very usual if you were talking about someone from West Germany.The Opposite was "Ossi" used by the west germans,but "Ossi" was more used by west germans after 1989.

I think the most people in east germany used the word "Wessi" because there were just a bit jealous about the West Germans.Because You knew that behind the Wall they can have everything like nice Cars,all kind of Food, the permission to Travel whereever you want to travel and so on.And you felt like the west germans were thinking there are a much better Volk as the poor uneducated east germans and we would live behind the Moon here. At that Time in east germany a "Wessi" was always known as a arrogant Person.
After 1989 the word "Wessi" became even more Meaning,cause everyone was fearing to loose there Jobs. When this was happening in 1989-1991 alot people in east germany were loosing there Jobs,because many big Factorys were takenover by west german agencies called (Treuhand).
Also alot private Wessis came to east germany and claimed to have properties and houses in east germany(owned it before Germany were splitted) and some just kicked out the persons living on or in it.

The word "Ossi" became more usual after 1989.When thousands of "Ossi's) stormed over to west germany,grabbed there 100DM "Welcome-Money" and bought everything there could get for 100,-DM. I can remember the first Time we went to West Berlin, every single Bus or Train or Subway were stuffed with east germans carrying there big plastic bags home . This Situation went on nearly 2 years until it settled down a bit.
Understandable,the west germans found it quite annoying.Also the west germans didn't like the fact that east germany needed alot money for rebuilding and to get equal to west german standarts in any ways.
But I don't wanna go to deep into that Topic.

Thats my view of the origin and the meaning of the Term "Ossi" and "Wessi".
and its still "Monkeybusiness" between East and West.

By the way,Good bey Lenin is a really funny and good Movie.I liked it alot because it reminds me of the "good old Times"

Not everything was bad in the DDR.
What they should have done is to let the people traveling and drinking Coca Cola and everything would have been great.cheers
Hope my english isn't to hard to read.
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"Seid bereit,immer bereit"

[SCHUPO]

Thälmannpionier,

An excellent description of the use of the Ossi and Wessi terms from one who experienced it! Your English is very clear. Thanks for taking the time to explain from your point of view. It is very enlightening to us collectors and historians in other countries to get first hand accounts and perspectives. It helps us to better understand the objects of DDR material culture that we collect and study.

[Mike G.]

Hi Thälmannpionier,

Your English is excellent.
Thanks for responding so quickly. Your perspective and particularly your recollections of the early years immediately following the coming down of the wall are profound. I very clearly remember my West Berlin mother-in-law and father-in-law getting very annoyed with "Ossies" everytime they left their house. They would return to find one or more Trabbies parked in their drive. There were so many people coming to West Berlin from East Germany the first two years, that there was no where to park. So the "Ossies" that did not come by bus or train, parked their autos where ever they could find a spot.

But there were other nice things happening as well. For the first time my wife and I could ride the East Berlin "Above Ground" Tram, known as the "S" Bahn. This was great fun. Of course the East German kids started for a short time, to wind surf on top of the S Bahn (A very dangerous sport resulting in several deaths).

Also, my father-in-law, who originally himself was an Ossie, was able to make arrangments with the then current East German property tenants of a property lot where he grew up as a child, to put up a small camping trailer on the lot. This was adjacent the Sieten See in the small town of Sieten, near Potsdam. My wife and I would visit often and I would fish with him, which was his favorite past-time. The only thing was, the cobble stones in these East German towns were huge compared to the ones in West and East Berlin, and they would do a number on the suspension of my small sports car. I thought for sure I was going to lose my kidneys.

I'm glad to hear that Goodbeye Lenin is accurate. My wife has not yet had the opportunity to view and see it. I hope she gets a chance soon.

Cheers and Tschuess,

[Ralph P]

Hello all...thanks to all for the follow ups to the Ossi thread...it has been very informative to read all your perspectives...

[Thälmannpionier]

I need to tell you all just a little more about East Germany.

I probably could type ages about DDR History. Let me tell you the Problems you had to get a "Trabbi" (Trabant) in the former DDR.
All the cars you've seen in Berlin comming over the Border,when the Wall came down,must have been probably all cars from whole East Germany traveling to small Berlin.Because it wasn't easy to get a car in the GDR.

First of all you had to apply if you wanted to drive such Thing(Trabbi)
(2 Stroke , 21PS Engine and made of thick cardboard!!!)
No Problem,you have applied and then.....? Nothing Happend.
The Joke was you really had to wait 6-10 years until you did get your Trabbi.
I think the Price for the "car" was something about 6000 Mark,but If you wanted your Trabbi painted in two damn ugly colours,you had to pay nearly the double.

Same procedure if you could afford a Wartburg,Skoda,Dacia, or Lada.
There was something like an old proverb about people that were driving a Lada.
If someone drives a Lada,means that this Person must have something to do with the Stasi.Don't ask me why. It was the same with somebody that had Telephone at Home for private Use.Telephone was very rare in the DDR. I live in a small Neighbourhhod and If I think 15 years back there was only one Telephone for the whole Neighbourhood.The Househould had to Display a Big Sign at the House that others knew they can use a Telephone here.
(for a bit of Money)
Back to the cars.
One more important Thing to know is also that in the GDR the only car that were imported from West Germany was the Volkswagen Golf 1 ,but very limited.
If you had enough money and enough Luck and enough Time to wait you could drive a Westwagen

I have just bought an old application Form for a Wartburg on ebay.
If u want me to show it,I can add it to the other Pics and you can have a look. Nothing special but still History and unique

Its a pleasure for me to answer such Things and I'm more than happy to assist if someone needs more Info

[Mike G.]

If memory serves me correctly, Trabbi's were constructed of "Marine Plywood". I remember like yesterday the very first visit to East Berlin. These little 2 cycle, blue smoke emitting, cute little go-cart looking things were everywhere. Several times I was almost hit by them when attempting to cross streets (against the traffic light).
It sounded like a thousand people had all decided to crank up their lawn mowers and cut the grass on their lawns on the same day.

One good thing though. Unlike here in the US, everyone in East Germany that owned and drove one was at least in their mid-twenties.

[SCHUPO]

Here is a Trabant memory for you. I was visiting the Berlin Police Academy shortly after the fall of the wall and they had inherited some Trabant police cars from the VOPO. They had them in the motor pool but no one would drive them except the lowly police recruits at the academy. They sat forlorn in the parking lots awaiting a driver who could get no other means of transportation. I also recall that they took one of the Soviet tank monuments and replaced the tank with a bright blue Trabbi somewhere in Berlin that escapes me just now.

[Mike G.]

Hi Schupo,

The only Soviet Tank monument I'm aware of in Berlin that was desecrated, was the one outside of Checkpoint Bravo.

First the kids painted the Soviet Tank pink.

Then it was vandalized (some parts were removed).

Then finally it was removed from the pedstal upon or atop which it rested, sometime afterwhich if I remember correctly, person(s) unknown stuck a trabbi up there.

Could it be possible that is the one?

The other Soviet memorials in Berlin are still intact to this day, although some are in need of repair or upgrade.

[SCHUPO]

Michael,

I am familiar with the tank monument just outside the Tor that you are talking about. The Polizei had to station a 24/7 guard on it to keep it from being vandalized again. Last time I remember seeing it intact was when I ask the female police guard (carrying her slung machine pistol to keep her warm at night) for directions in the middle of the night when I got off at the wrong U bahn stop to make the connection to the S bahn before it was all reopened. Confusing times for an Amerikaner in such a big dark city. I was just trying to make it back to the Kudamm and the bright lights.

I don't think it was this monument but it was visible from quite a distance as it had been painted a bright blue with buckets of paint. Might have been the same monument...but I have slept since then and I can't recall distinctly.

[Mike G.]

Hi Schupo,

I think you misunderstood me. Checkpoint Bravo - not Charlie. I was referring to the Soviet Tank on the A2 (Helmstedt Autobahn) that was positioned just outside of Berlin as you entered the city.

There is no U-bahn stop there and, after the wall came down, no one present to guard it. Consequently, it got "Creamed". First casualty of the end of the "Cold War" so to speak.

[SCHUPO]

JAWOHL! That is the one that had the blue Trabant. Thank you for jogging my memory. The monument by the Tor probably still has a guard if it is not a new building by now. I now remember seeing it from the Autobahn. You are quite correct, Sir.