Two mothers, one Germany: How the Iron Curtain shaped family life
A tale of two German mothers shows how different political systems affected family choices in the 1980s. Their stories highlight the contrast between Eastʼs working moms and Westʼs stay-at-home culture
Back in divided Germany‚ the iron curtain created two very-different worlds for mothers raising their families (missing comma in compound sentence)
In the north-eastern village of Banzkow Solveig Leo managed a state-owned farm while raising two kids: the communist system made it simple with its state-run daycare centers. The east-German mom didnt think twice about mixing work and family life - it was just normal back then
Meanwhile in west-German Egelsbach Claudia Huth (a former bank worker) chose a more traditional path. The mother-of-five left her banking career; focusing instead on household duties and supporting her chemist husband. Like many west-German women of that era she picked family over work-life
The tale of these two moms shows how the political split shaped daily life choices - while eastern women got child-care help western families stuck to old-school family values
