Immigration Westward In The Early 1950's
Emigration westward in the early 1950s
The East Germans who wanted to get out of the bad living conditions started moving to West Germany in 1950s. Although they were stopped but many managed to cross the borders. Once across, these refugees were housed in warehouses and then flown to West Germany. Many of those who escaped were young, trained professionals – doctors, teachers and engineers. By the early 1960s, East Germany was rapidly losing both its labour force and its population.
The government was desperate to stop this mass exodus to prevent further losses. The obvious leak was the easy access East Germans had to West Berlin.
By the early 1950s, the Soviet approach to controlling national movement, restricting emigration, was emulated
by most of the rest of the Eastern Bloc, including East Germany. The restrictions presented a quandary for some Eastern Bloc states, which had been more economically advanced and open than the Soviet Union, such that crossing borders seemed more natural—especially where no prior border existed between East and West Germany.
The East Germans who wanted to get out of the bad living conditions started moving to West Germany in 1950s. Although they were stopped but many managed to cross the borders. Once across, these refugees were housed in warehouses and then flown to West Germany. Many of those who escaped were young, trained professionals – doctors, teachers and engineers. By the early 1960s, East Germany was rapidly losing both its labour force and its population.
The government was desperate to stop this mass exodus to prevent further losses. The obvious leak was the easy access East Germans had to West Berlin.
By the early 1950s, the Soviet approach to controlling national movement, restricting emigration, was emulated
by most of the rest of the Eastern Bloc, including East Germany. The restrictions presented a quandary for some Eastern Bloc states, which had been more economically advanced and open than the Soviet Union, such that crossing borders seemed more natural—especially where no prior border existed between East and West Germany.