What are these East German Commies saying, anyway?

May 7, 2007 8:11 AM

German-speakers: What are the Commies in these (very brief) clips from East Germany saying?

Yesterday, I did a front page post on East Germany. My YouTube research uncovered quite a few clips that were amusing and interesting but not appropriate for the post itself. Two that caught my eye are listed below:

The first is a straightforward propaganda clip from (I assume) the Fifties. (:42)

The second is a Stasi surveillance video with an anti-Western speech inserted as a soundtrack. (:58)


If there are any German-speakers out there, could you please tell me what they are saying? I don’t need a word-by-word translation. Just the gist would be fine.

Many thanks in advance.

posted by jason's_planet to writing & language (5 comments total)

First clip:

Girls in record store, undecided, ask saleswoman (person talking), that they are looking for records to dance to. She tells them that whatever the case, they do not sell rock n roll records in their store. And that there are better things to do than dance anyways.
posted by markovich at 8:26 AM on May 7, 2007

In the first one she's talking about a scenario where 2 young girls are standing in her music store. first they're giggling and whispering, then they tell the woman they'd be interested in dance (music). She replies to them that "rock and roll and such noise albums in general" are not available at her store and that young girls should think about other things than dancing.

And I just know that on preview someone will already have posted a better translation of this...

... see?
posted by ClarissaWAM at 8:27 AM on May 7, 2007

Second clip:

Lots of kids are wearing strange outfits these days.
posted by markovich at 8:29 AM on May 7, 2007

LOL @ Markovich.

But yeah, 2nd one is difficult to paraphrase. He's talking about all the "subversive forces" within the youth of the GDR.. neo-nazis, neo-fascists, punks, shinheads (yes that's how he pronounces it) heavy metallers...
posted by ClarissaWAM at 8:33 AM on May 7, 2007

OK. Cool. Thanks, guys!

I appreciate it.
posted by jason's_planet at 1:36 PM on May 7, 2007