I wanted to depict East Germany somehow, but it occurred to me that if the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis had turned hot, East Germany would have received a lot of nuclear bombs, and the autobahns would have been one of the few things not turned into radioactive soup.
I know there were few private cars, but there must have been distinctive things like road signs, markers, etc.
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East German Autobahn
long_tom
Joined: March 18, 2006
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Posted: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 - 08:45 PM UTC
HermannB
Joined: October 14, 2008
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Posted: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 - 08:52 PM UTC
From own experience, DDR Autobahn was just one thing - Bumpy, very bumpy. 
And there were much more car in DDR than the rest of the world suspects. DDR Autobahn was made of concrete with expansion lines between. I been only once in DDR in the mid-eighties so didn´t recall much of the streets.
And there were much more car in DDR than the rest of the world suspects. DDR Autobahn was made of concrete with expansion lines between. I been only once in DDR in the mid-eighties so didn´t recall much of the streets.HermannB
Joined: October 14, 2008
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Posted: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 - 08:58 PM UTC
Some examples.
http://images.google.de/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2F6%2F60%2FDDR_Grenz-Schilder.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fde.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTransitverkehr_durch_die_DDR&h=667&w=1013&tbnid=mjmIXeqHJSXcxM%3A&docid=HWwBeL8liE0qfM&ei=eNpyVpO8E8uBU52Wnmg&tbm=isch&iact=rc&uact=3&dur=313&page=1&start=0&ndsp=17&ved=0ahUKEwiT2NmwoOPJAhXLwBQKHR2LBw0QrQMIKjAB
http://images.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.schnitzler-aachen.de%2FSammlungen%2FDDR%2FWerbung%2FAutobahn_Orbitaplast.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.schnitzler-aachen.de%2FSammlungen%2FDDR%2FWerbung%2FAutobahn.htm&h=306&w=708&tbnid=aVePEdNy1gbiMM%3A&docid=12rK79NSiihF_M&ei=eNpyVpO8E8uBU52Wnmg&tbm=isch&iact=rc&uact=3&dur=569&page=1&start=0&ndsp=17&ved=0ahUKEwiT2NmwoOPJAhXLwBQKHR2LBw0QrQMILTAC
Images were found tru googeling.
Just type:
DDR Autobahn or DDR Autobahn Grenze
HTH
Hans-Hermann
http://images.google.de/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2F6%2F60%2FDDR_Grenz-Schilder.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fde.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FTransitverkehr_durch_die_DDR&h=667&w=1013&tbnid=mjmIXeqHJSXcxM%3A&docid=HWwBeL8liE0qfM&ei=eNpyVpO8E8uBU52Wnmg&tbm=isch&iact=rc&uact=3&dur=313&page=1&start=0&ndsp=17&ved=0ahUKEwiT2NmwoOPJAhXLwBQKHR2LBw0QrQMIKjAB
http://images.google.de/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.schnitzler-aachen.de%2FSammlungen%2FDDR%2FWerbung%2FAutobahn_Orbitaplast.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.schnitzler-aachen.de%2FSammlungen%2FDDR%2FWerbung%2FAutobahn.htm&h=306&w=708&tbnid=aVePEdNy1gbiMM%3A&docid=12rK79NSiihF_M&ei=eNpyVpO8E8uBU52Wnmg&tbm=isch&iact=rc&uact=3&dur=569&page=1&start=0&ndsp=17&ved=0ahUKEwiT2NmwoOPJAhXLwBQKHR2LBw0QrQMILTAC
Images were found tru googeling.
Just type:
DDR Autobahn or DDR Autobahn Grenze
HTH
Hans-Hermann
Bonaparte84
Joined: July 17, 2013
KitMaker: 338 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 - 09:11 PM UTC
Carfeul: The above link shows a transit highway, serving for transit between West Germany and West-Berlin across the DDR. THis is also the reason why there is the English word "military" on the road sign. Therefore it's not actually representative of what the proper DDR autobahns actually looked like.
The other picture is more like it...
Unless you don't care as long as it is a highway placed somewhere on DDR territory, no matter who used it...
The other picture is more like it...
Unless you don't care as long as it is a highway placed somewhere on DDR territory, no matter who used it...
orpant
Joined: January 16, 2010
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Posted: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 - 09:19 PM UTC
There you go:
HermannB
Joined: October 14, 2008
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Posted: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 - 09:23 PM UTC
The one occasion is was in the DDR was for a visit in West Berlin. But the transit highway was in the same crappy condition as the rest of the Autobahns. 
HermannB
Joined: October 14, 2008
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Posted: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 - 09:30 PM UTC
Quoted Text
There you go:
A word of caution: picture #6 (the direction signs) are signs of West German origin, not from DDR.
HermannB
Joined: October 14, 2008
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Posted: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 - 09:42 PM UTC
Hardly known to most of us here, in 1983 we were much closer to the nuclear holocaust than in 1962. 1983, the Soviet ballistic missile warning system had a malfunction, showing western missiles approaching the USSR. Luckily for all of us the Soviet officers reacted cool enough, to prevent WW III.
Molentik
Joined: May 22, 2012
KitMaker: 112 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 - 11:00 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Hardly known to most of us here, in 1983 we were much closer to the nuclear holocaust than in 1962. 1983, the Soviet ballistic missile warning system had a malfunction, showing western missiles approaching the USSR. Luckily for all of us the Soviet officers reacted cool enough, to prevent WW III.
That was during the NATO exercise 'Able Archer' ;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Able_Archer_83
There is a very good serie about it called Deutschland 83.
long_tom
Joined: March 18, 2006
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Posted: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 - 11:11 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Hardly known to most of us here, in 1983 we were much closer to the nuclear holocaust than in 1962. 1983, the Soviet ballistic missile warning system had a malfunction, showing western missiles approaching the USSR. Luckily for all of us the Soviet officers reacted cool enough, to prevent WW III.
Actually, in 1962 there was a genuine political crisis going on, so the firing of missiles from either side would have been credible. In 1983, Soviet officers probably got false alarms all the time.
As for the official road signs, were they black (rather than green like in the USA?)
HermannB
Joined: October 14, 2008
KitMaker: 4,099 posts
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Posted: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 - 11:42 PM UTC
I think they were blue, like the signs on BRD Autobahnen.
HermannB
Joined: October 14, 2008
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Posted: Wednesday, December 16, 2015 - 11:47 PM UTC
jphillips
Joined: February 25, 2007
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Posted: Thursday, December 17, 2015 - 12:00 AM UTC
That's a great idea! You should consider incorporating a police car or cars of the Volkspolizei into your diorama. I've seen Volkspolezei decals for sale on eBay, but I don't know if they used any vehicles that can be found in 1/35th scale. I guess there must be some, otherwise, why would anyone print the decals? They probably had the UAZ-469.
BootsDMS
Joined: February 08, 2012
KitMaker: 978 posts
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Posted: Thursday, December 17, 2015 - 01:21 AM UTC
Don't forget the 1:35 Barkas B1000 minibus used by the Volkspolizei - reviewed here:
https://armorama.kitmaker.net/news/20537
(If I've done this right)
This post has been very useful - 'always keen to see the DDR
as I only ever got to Berlin as opposed to the country proper. Oh, to have accomplished a tour with BRIXMIS (or USMLM or FMLM) in the good old days of the Cold War (!)
https://armorama.kitmaker.net/news/20537
(If I've done this right)
This post has been very useful - 'always keen to see the DDR
as I only ever got to Berlin as opposed to the country proper. Oh, to have accomplished a tour with BRIXMIS (or USMLM or FMLM) in the good old days of the Cold War (!)
Frenchy
Joined: December 02, 2002
KitMaker: 12,719 posts
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Posted: Thursday, December 17, 2015 - 01:35 AM UTC
A few more 1/35th scale NVA vehicles (also mentioned in Brian's link 
) :
http://www.modellschmiede-struppen.de/bausaetze.php
H.P.
) :http://www.modellschmiede-struppen.de/bausaetze.php
H.P.
HermannB
Joined: October 14, 2008
KitMaker: 4,099 posts
Armorama: 4,067 posts
Posted: Thursday, December 17, 2015 - 02:26 AM UTC
Wikipedia article on Volkspolizei.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkspolizei
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkspolizei
18Bravo
Joined: January 20, 2005
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Posted: Thursday, December 17, 2015 - 02:33 AM UTC
As it happens, I've been asked by my family to write a memoir of sorts. It includes my adventure through the zone on my motorcycle. I'll post it in the Soldier Stories forum below a bit later.
ivanhoe6
Joined: April 05, 2007
KitMaker: 2,023 posts
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Posted: Thursday, December 17, 2015 - 02:48 AM UTC
Deutschland 83 ! Highly recommended !
BootsDMS
Joined: February 08, 2012
KitMaker: 978 posts
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Posted: Thursday, December 17, 2015 - 05:11 AM UTC
'Hadn't heard of "Deutschland 83" but I've just done a bit of Googling around and apparently it's due to be shown on UK TV on Channel 4 on 3 January 2016.
This was indeed "my" Cold War - so in addition to new kits something decent on TV as well; result!
Shaping up to be a good time to be a Cold War modeller - loads of inspiration will ensue I'm sure.
This was indeed "my" Cold War - so in addition to new kits something decent on TV as well; result!
Shaping up to be a good time to be a Cold War modeller - loads of inspiration will ensue I'm sure.
TimW42
Joined: April 05, 2006
KitMaker: 159 posts
Armorama: 158 posts
Posted: Tuesday, December 22, 2015 - 10:01 PM UTC
Quoted Text
From own experience, DDR Autobahn was just one thing - Bumpy, very bumpy.
Streets were like time traveling to the 1950s. Lots of cobblestones and ill-paved roads.
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