For those who do not dwell on the cruel and barbarous actions of the Stasi, what is now often forgotten is that the GDR also represented an effort to build a completely new and egalitarian society. Gender equality and equal pay for men and women were part of the GDR from the very beginning. The 1949 constitution was direct and very clear: “Men and women are equal.” A law introduced in 1950 ensured that women retained their rights after marriage and introduced financial support for mothers who devoted their time to looking after their children. This applied not only to married…