A letter from the GDR era reveals: A woman has been waiting 16 years for her Trabi. After reunification, she bought a car - but her happiness was short-lived.
Bremen - In the former GDR, more precisely in the city that is now known as Chemnitz and was then still called Karl-Marx-Stadt, a woman waited in vain for her Trabant. Your grandson recently found a letter that is over 30 years old and looks just as old as a Kaufland purchase receipt from 1996. With this letter he wants to show what was written back then - and it also has a surprising twist after the fall of the Wall ready.
13 years waiting for Trabi - and there will be more: GDR letter gives no hope
The letter, dated September 4, 1986, comes from VEB IFA-Vertrieb Karl-Marx-Stadt (lead company for internal trade of the IFA passenger car combine). It says: “Values (name redacted). With reference to your letter, we would like to inform you that for the Trabant-Universal car type we have reached a point of sale in June 1973.” At this point, the finder's grandmother had already been waiting for her Trabi for 13 years.
The letter continues: “It is unlikely that your order will be implemented in 1987 either.” So the woman finds out months before the turn of the year that there won't be a Trabant at her door next year either. That is two years before the change. “You will receive a corresponding delivery offer from us at the appropriate time,” the sales department promises the lady. The finder shared this letter on the Reddit platform.
“Unfortunately it was stolen after two weeks”: Absurd turnaround for a GDR woman after the real change
In the GDR, many people shared the fate of never owning a car. In 1989 the Wall came down, which for many meant a departure into a new world, into capitalism. Going to the supermarket or having free access to your own car became possible. In the comments, a user asks whether she got the car before the reunification. The finder answers with a surprising twist: “Unfortunately, no. She bought a Corsa B in '93. Unfortunately it was stolen after two weeks.”
The grandmother waited in vain for a Trabant in the GDR for over 16 years and finally bought a car in 1993. But the Opel was then stolen from her. One commenter wrote: “What a drama. Have the film rights already been taken?" Another says: "A drama in several acts." For many, this is a reason to counter the constant complainers: "Everything used to be better?" This example speaks a different language.
Online users are always happy to receive notes and letters. For example, a letter from a vegan family or a piece of paper with nine exclamation marks.
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