East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. Until 1989, it was generally viewed as a communist state, and it described itself as a socialist “workers’ and peasants’ state”.

The economy of this country was centrally planned and state-owned. Prices of housing, basic goods and services were heavily subsidized and set by central government planners rather than rising and falling through supply and demand. Although the GDR had to pay substantial war reparations to the Soviets, it became the most successful economy in the Eastern Bloc.

Geographically, the GDR bordered the Baltic Sea to the north, Poland to the east, Czechoslovakia to the southeast and West Germany to the southwest and west. Internally, the GDR also bordered the Soviet sector of Allied-occupied Berlin, known as East Berlin, which was also administered as the country’s de facto capital. It also bordered the three sectors occupied by the United States, United Kingdom, and France known collectively as West Berlin (de facto part of the FRG). The three sectors occupied by the Western countries were sealed off from the GDR by the Berlin Wall from its construction in 1961 until it was opened in 1989 as part of the Peaceful Revolution against East Germany.

These fascinating photos from Michel Huhardeaux that captured street scenes of East Germany in 1980.

Halberstadt main street in the morning, 1980

Halberstadt station, 1980

Halberstadt station, Deutsche Reichsbahn, 1980

Halberstadt station, Deutsche Reichsbahn, 1980

Halberstadt street scenes, 1980

Halberstadt street scenes, 1980

Halberstadt street scenes, 1980

Halberstadt street scenes, 1980

Halberstadt street scenes, 1980

Halberstadt, Straßenbahn, 1980

Halberstadt, Straßenbahn, 1980

Halberstadt, Straßenbahn, 1980

Halberstadt, Straßenbahn, 1980

Halberstadt, Straßenbahn, 1980

Halberstadt. Trabi and tram, 1980

Hasselfelde street scenes, 1980

Hasselfelde street scenes, 1980

Magdeburg Hauptbahnhof, 1980

Magdeburg street scenes, 1980

Magdeburg street scenes, 1980

Magdeburg street scenes, 1980

Magdeburg street scenes, 1980

Magdeburg street scenes, 1980

Magdeburg street scenes, 1980

Magdeburg street scenes, 1980

Magdeburg street scenes, 1980

Magdeburg street scenes, 1980

Magdeburg street scenes, 1980

Magdeburg, 1980

Magdeburg, 1980

Magdeburg. Bahnhofplatz in the early morning, 1980

Magdeburg. Hotel International, 1980

Magdeburg. Hotel International, 1980

Magdeburg. Raffle in front of the Magdeburg main station, 1980

Magdeburg. View from the train station, 1980

Nordhausen station, 1980

Quedlinburg street scenes, 1980

Quedlinburg street scenes, 1980

Rudolstadt city center, 1980

Rudolstadt city center, 1980

Saalfeld station, 1980

Wernigerode, 1980

Wernigerode, 1980