‘East Germany’ revisits the former GDR through colour photographs from the archives of Thomas Hoepker (1936–2024). Hoepker was the first West German photographer officially permitted to photograph inside the GDR. From 1972 onward, he photographed primarily in colour on Kodachrome slide film, and he lived in East Berlin between 1975 and 1977. Travelling throughout the country, he snapped pictures of state propaganda and political parades, as well as the reality of the crumbling cities of the communist state. His deep sense of empathy for the people is palpable. Poet and singer Wolf Biermann, a close friend of Hoepker in the GDR, contributed an essay to the book.