Youth Talk

Admittedly geared towards the history geeks out there, Deutschland 83 is the epitome of a perfect Cold War drama.

I’ve always been a history buff with History, in fact, being one of the courses I’m applying for at university. I wouldn’t be lying if I admitted I was particularly inclined towards the Eastern Bloc.

Observing the form of government and Eastern life has interested me for a long time and so it was with great luck I bumped into Deutschland 83. Quite interestingly, the show is based around the often-unexplored former East Germany.

Quick history recap: Germany was indeed divided into two countries for decades. While the Western, capitalist, state flourished with American and Western European support, the Soviet-backed communist East lagged significantly behind.

By the 1980s tensions between the two states were at an all-time high, and this is where the show picks up on. We zoom into the life of 25-year-old Martin, who seems to have everything going for him.

He’s an intelligent, patriotic East German border patrol guard with a loving mother and caring pregnant girlfriend. With the East German government paranoid about the West’s military intentions, his diplomat aunt blackmails him into becoming a spy for the Stasi, or East German secret police.

After some brief training he is packed off to the hostile West, where he is tasked with impersonating a murdered West German lieutenant: Stamm. Despite the many personal risks, Martin’s aunt and the Stasi command him to locate and leak secret documents, all while he is forced to maintain the alias of Stamm to his superior West German general Edel.

The show frequently switches from life in the East to West, with the personal and professional lives of Martin, his mother, aunt, girlfriend, Edel and Edel’s family being explored. We observe the moral dilemma Martin faces in betraying his new Western allies, as well as the drama of his personal life back in the East.

While we often dismiss the Cold War as less significant, this show highlighted to me just how close humanity was to a nuclear holocaust. Of particular interest to me was observing the cultural differences between Eastern and Western characters.

In one particular scene, Martin’s girlfriend Annett sits down with Edel’s daughter Yvonne. While Annett is oblivious to technology developments, Yvonne is puzzled at traditional German family values.

It was fascinating seeing how manmade borders can impose severe differences on the same ethnic group. Do give Deutschland 83 a watch: the perfect blend of compelling history and relatable characters will serve a perfect break from the stress of reality.

If anything, your German proficiency will certaintly improve!
YouthTalk