There were hardly any homeless people in the GDR — the former East Germany — mostly because state officials put them in jail or in shabby accommodation. At the turn of the century, many East Germans ended up on the street in West Germany.
“Homelessness? That did not exist in the GDR!” That’s a common assumption. That there were significantly fewer homeless people than in West Germany is undisputed however. In the GDR — the former East Germany — the state provided for cheap rent, work and...
