The East German mark was thinner ... there was more awaiting them on the other side: free money. A 100 Deutsche Mark bill.Nanna Heitmann—Magnum Photos for TIME Since 1970, East Germans arriving ...

In some ways, Töpfer never really left an East German classroom ... could “put a black mark on you for the rest of your life,” said Fulbrook. Such a student might be barred from doing ...

What promised to be a healing cure-all for both sides killed the East German mark and is still a work in progress today. If the East German central bank is remembered for anything, it's usually ...

Its basement contains a treasure trove of relics of East German history, including the 500-mark note that never saw the light of day. It felt a bit unreal to carry a large paper bag full of ...