East German words from A to Z

Broiler is the East German word for roast chicken. It became the generic name in 1961, when chickens from a Bulgarian poultry farm went on sale. Menus also listed it as Goldbroiler.

Sources (German): yumda-Lexikon: Broiler, IDS Mannheim: Hellmann 1991, Volksstimme: DDR-Wörter

A Grilletta is a meat patty in a roll with ketchup, with cheese, onions and pickle on request. The snack bars that sold it were also called Grilletta.

Sources (German): Volksstimme: DDR-Wörter, Berliner Kurier: Krusta-Stube

In East German cooking, Jägerschnitzel is a breaded, fried slice of Jagdwurst, a mild bologna-style sausage. It was a classic of school lunch.

Sources (German): Volksstimme: Schulspeisung, Berliner Kurier: Ost-Wörter

A Ketwurst is a sausage with ketchup in a roll baked specially for it. The name combines Ketchup and Wurst (sausage).

Sources (German): Volksstimme: DDR-Wörter, MDR „Mahlzeit DDR“, Folge 1 (Beschreibung)

Krusta is the pizza of East German snack bars: a topped sheet-pan bake covered with melted cheese and sold in rectangular pieces. Cooks developed it in 1976. It was served in the Krusta-Stuben run by the HO, the state retail organization, in varieties such as Teufelskrusta or Spreewaldkrusta.

Sources (German): TU Dresden: Krusta, Berliner Kurier: Krusta-Stube

A Schwedeneisbecher is a sundae of vanilla ice cream, applesauce, egg liqueur and whipped cream. Where the name comes from is not documented; several stories exist.

Sources (German): taz: Einheit auf dem Teller, Nordkurier: 240 DDR-Rezepte

Steak au four is a fried pork steak topped with Würzfleisch and cheese and baked. It was on many menus in East Germany.

Sources (German): Nordkurier: Ost-Küche, Nordkurier: 240 DDR-Rezepte, in-berlin-brandenburg.com: Ragout fin

Sättigungsbeilage (“filling side dish”) is the restaurant term for the potatoes, rice or noodles served with a meat dish. It appeared on the menu when it was not yet clear at printing time which side would be available.

Sources (German): Birgit Wolf: Sprache in der DDR (2000), zitiert nach Wikipedia, Berliner Kurier: Kartoffelkrusteln

Tote Oma (“dead grandma”) is the popular name for warm Grützwurst, a soft sausage made with groats. The dish was part of school lunch and is still cooked in East German homes.

Sources (German): Volksstimme: Schulspeisung, Volksstimme: So schmeckt die DDR

Würzfleisch is a ragout of pork or poultry in a flour-thickened sauce, baked with cheese in small dishes. It is served with lemon, Worcestershire sauce and toast. HO restaurants, the state-run restaurants, listed it as a starter.

Sources (German): Volksstimme: So schmeckt die DDR, Berliner Kurier: Würzfleisch

Alu-Chips is the mocking name for the coins of the East German mark, which were made of aluminum.

Sources (German): Berliner Kurier: Zehn DDR-Begriffe, Berliner Zeitung: Sprache der DDR

Bückware (“bend-down goods”) is scarce merchandise that was not on the shelf but sold from under the counter. The shop assistant had to bend down for it.

Sources (German): Duden: Mit der Schwalbe zur Datsche, Volksstimme: DDR-Wörter, Berliner Kurier: Zehn DDR-Begriffe

Delikat was the name of the stores for upmarket food, which existed from 1976. Customers paid in East German marks. People called the store Deli or Fress-Ex.

Sources (German): t-online: Ost-West-Wortschatz, Berliner Zeitung: 60 Jahre Intershop, Berliner Kurier: DDR-Wörterbuch

Exquisit was the name of the stores for high-quality fashion, shoes and cosmetics. They opened at the same time as the first Intershops. Customers paid in East German marks.

Sources (German): Berliner Zeitung: 60 Jahre Intershop, familie.de: 50 DDR-Wörter

The Forumscheck is a voucher East Germans used to pay in the Intershop from April 1979. They exchanged convertible money for it at the state bank at a rate of 1:1.

Sources (German): DDR Museum: Intershop, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin: Forum-Scheck, Berliner Zeitung: 60 Jahre Intershop

HO stands for Handelsorganisation, the state retail organization of East Germany. The first HO stores opened in November 1948. The HO also ran restaurants.

Sources (German): bpb: Konsumpolitik in der DDR, IDS Mannheim: Hellmann 1991, Berliner Kurier: Krusta-Stube

Intershop was the state-run chain of stores where only convertible currency was accepted. It was founded on December 14, 1962. From April 1979, East Germans shopped there with Forumschecks.

Sources (German): DDR Museum: Intershop, Berliner Zeitung: 60 Jahre Intershop

Kaufhalle is the East German term for the self-service store selling food and everyday goods.

Sources (German): t-online: Ost-West-Wortschatz, Volksstimme: DDR-Wörter, IDS Mannheim: Hellmann 1991

Konsum was what East Germans called the neighborhood grocery store. It sold food and everyday goods.

Sources (German): Volksstimme: DDR-Wörter, familie.de: 50 DDR-Wörter

Club-Cola is a cola that came on the market in 1967. A 0.33-liter bottle cost 42 pfennigs.

Sources (German): DPMA: Vita Cola, Berliner Kurier: Preisliste

Kaffee-Mix is a coffee blend that reached the stores in August 1977. It was 51 percent roasted coffee; the rest included peas, rye, barley and chicory. In January 1978 the decision was made to stop production.

Sources (German): Bundesarchiv: Kaffeekrise 1977, Nordkurier: Kaffeekrise, Volksstimme: Kaffee-Mix

Vita Cola is a cola that has been made since 1958. The recipe was created at the Miltitz chemical works. By 1960, 106 plants were bottling it, each with its own label.

Sources (German): DPMA: Vita Cola, Lebensmittel Praxis: Marken-Transfer

A Datsche is a garden or weekend cottage. The word comes from the Russian “dacha”, a small summer house.

Sources (German): Berliner Zeitung: Buch über Sprache der DDR, Berliner Kurier: Ost-Wörter

Dederon is the name of a synthetic fiber from East Germany. The word contains the abbreviation DDR. It was mainly used for smocks and bags.

Sources (German): DDR Museum: Dederon, Berliner Kurier: Zehn DDR-Begriffe, familie.de: 50 DDR-Wörter

Dreiraumwohnung is the official term for an apartment with three rooms. It usually meant what would be listed as two and a half rooms.

Sources (German): bpb: Sprache und Sprachgebrauch in der DDR, t-online: Ost-West-Wortschatz

Feierabendheim is the East German term for a retirement home.

Sources (German): bpb: Sprache und Sprachgebrauch in der DDR, Volksstimme: DDR-Wörter, t-online: Ost-West-Wortschatz

Kombine is the East German word for a combine harvester.

Sources (German): bpb: Sprache und Sprachgebrauch in der DDR, giga.de: DDR-Wörter

Nicki is the East German word for a T-shirt.

Sources (German): Volksstimme: DDR-Wörter, Schwäbische: Wörter der Großeltern

Plaste is the usual East German word for plastic. It goes back to a brand name of the Buna works in Schkopau from the 1930s. It became known through the advertising slogan “Plaste und Elaste aus Schkopau”.

Sources (German): Volksstimme: Verschwundene Wörter und Wendungen, t-online: Ost-West-Wortschatz

Schallplattenunterhalter (“record entertainer”), SPU for short, is the official East German term for a disc jockey.

Sources (German): bpb: Sprache und Sprachgebrauch in der DDR, Schwäbische: Wörter der Großeltern

Abkindern was the word for paying off a marriage loan through the birth of children.

Sources (German): Berliner Zeitung: Sprache der DDR, giga.de: DDR-Wörter

Arbeiterschließfach (“workers’ locker”) is the joking name for an apartment in a prefabricated housing block.

Sources (German): Berliner Zeitung: Sprache der DDR, t-online: Ost-West-Wortschatz

Rabotten is a slang word for working.

Sources (German): Berliner Zeitung: Sprache der DDR, t-online: Ost-West-Wortschatz

Rennpappe (“racing cardboard”) is a nickname for the Trabant car, Pappe for short. Another one is Asphaltblase (“asphalt bubble”).

Sources (German): Berliner Zeitung: Sprache der DDR, t-online: Ost-West-Wortschatz

Urst is a word from East German youth slang meaning very, extremely or great.

Sources (German): Volksstimme: DDR-Wörter, Berliner Zeitung: Sprache der DDR

Jahresendflügelfigur (“year-end winged figure”) is said to have been the official term for a Christmas angel. The word appears in print in 1986 in a satirical book by Ernst Röhl. Linguists regard the idea that anyone spoke like this in everyday life as a legend.

Sources (German): Volksstimme: Verschwundene Worte, Wikipedia: Jahresendflügelfigur, Berliner Kurier: Jahresendflügelfigur

Niethose, also Nietenhose (“rivet pants”), is the official term for jeans. According to linguists, the word never caught on with the public.

Sources (German): Volksstimme: Verschwundene Worte, Berliner Kurier: Ost-Wörter