Blast From Soviet Past: Trabant Enthusiasts Show Off Iconic East German Cars

Widely considered one of the worst cars ever made, the Trabant has come to symbolize a quirky relic of East Germany’s (DDR) bygone communist occupation. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, U.S. Trabant collectors have gravitated to this tiny two-cylinder plastic car as a nostalgic reminder of a time and an automobile that “stands for something that didn’t work.” While only 200-250 Trabants ever arrived in the United States, more than 10 of the iconic East German automobiles were parked outside the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC for the ninth annual Parade of Trabants.

This video from Ukraine Today demonstrates the power of cultural diplomacy to enhance global understanding of Cold War history, discover the origins and legacy of the tiny Trabant, and highlight how different 21st century Germany is from yesteryear’s DDR. 

Blast From Soviet Past: Trabant enthusiasts show off iconic East German cars at Washington rally

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