Berlin
Katarina Witt, beloved ice-skating champ from the former East Germany, will host a television show that highlights the good side of life under communism. Witt was known as “the most beautiful face of socialism” during the 1980s, when she brought home gold medals in two successive Olympics. As a communist icon, she enjoyed considerable perks denied to the rest of the population. Her family got a car and a house without the usual years of waiting. And while many East Germans were jailed or even killed for trying to leave the country, Witt could travel freely. In the ’90s, Witt faced credible accusations that she had collaborated with the Stasi, the dreaded secret police, but she successfully sued to keep her Stasi file sealed. Her new show is part of a wave of nostalgia among economically depressed easterners for the days of full employment.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
This is what you should know about State Department travel advisories and warningsIn Depth Stay safe on your international adventures
-
'All Tyson-Paul promised was spectacle and, in the end, that's all we got'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Changes are coming for 401(k)s and IRAs in 2025. Here's what to know.The Explainer News about part-time workers, auto-enrollment and penalties for inherited IRAs
