Basic East German Words, Terms, Names: Why Know Them?

Terms basic to any understanding of East German culture and politics are defined in this paper. The items selected are grouped in five categories: (1) the state, (2) political and philosophical terms, (3) economics, (4) education, and (5) the family, ethics, and the arts. The author emphasizes semantic differences despite similarities to words in the lexicon of West Germany. (RL)