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Article: German Democratic Republic (East Germany): Chapter 3D. The Consumer in the East German Economy
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Chapter 3D. The Consumer in the East German Economy
The East German standard of living has improved greatly since
1949. Most
observers, in both East and West, agree that in the 1980s East Germans
enjoyed
the highest standard of living in Eastern Europe. Major improvements
occurred,
especially after 1971, when the Honecker regime announced its commitment
to
fulfilling the "principal task" of the economy, which was defined
as the
enhancement of the material and cultural well-being of all citizens.
Problems
remained, however. In the mid-1980s, light industry and consumer goods
industries were not performing as well as the economy as a whole,
although ...