A store in Berlin that only sells products made in what was East Germany. (Photo: Brett Neely, 2009)

It’s anniversary time in Germany. Twenty years ago, the Socialist Unity Party lost its hold on power as thousands of East Germans took to the streets in peaceful protests. It was a hopeful time, and certainly the most peaceful revolution German history. But it wasn’t all sunshine and light after thousands of companies were closed and millions thrown out of work afterward.

My most recent story for Marketplace is about the companies that survived what Germans call Die Wende, the turning point. I had much, much more for the piece but when you’re working with three minutes, a lot gets left on the cutting room floor.

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