East Germany was a country that existed from 1949 to 1990 in the eastern part of Germany, after the end of World War II. One of the most common synonyms for East Germany is the German Democratic Republic (GDR), which was its official name. However, there are other synonyms that refer to this nation, such as the Soviet Occupation Zone, the Eastern Bloc, or simply East. Furthermore, some people still refer to East Germany as DDR, which stands for Deutsche Demokratische Republik, the German translation of GDR. Despite being dissolved over 30 years ago, East Germany still holds a significant place in German history and culture.