Lost Places III
Lost Places – Lost Places Part 3.
Lost Places Photos from the Berlin area by the Berlin photographer Ingo Hinze – Lost Places Part 3. You can find more photos by Ingo Hinze on Instagram. Thank you Ingo for the great wallpapers.
The Trabant, Trabi for short.
The Trabant, or Trabi for short, was probably the most famous car model in the GDR and an integral part of East German culture and everyday life. Here are some interesting facts about the cult car from the East:
The Trabant was built in Zwickau from 1957 to 1991. Its design dates back to the 1950s and remained almost unchanged. It had a two-stroke engine with only 26 hp and reached a top speed of 90 km/h. Nevertheless, it was a coveted status symbol for many citizens of the GDR.
The body was made of Duroplast, a plastic fiber composite based on polyester synthesis. This made the Trabi very light, but it also rusted quickly. Its typical smell – a mixture of plastic and gasoline – is still remembered by many GDR citizens.
15 year wait.
With a wait of up to 15 years, a Trabi was difficult to obtain. They were often passed on or traded on the black market for Western money. Owning your own car was a real luxury back then.
Thanks to its low consumption of around 7 liters of premium gasoline per 100 kilometers, the Trabi was also suitable for everyday use for many GDR citizens. Popular models were the Trabant 601 with a station wagon body or the Trabant 1.1 as a panel van.
For many people, the Trabi is still closely associated with nostalgia and childhood memories of the GDR. Its characteristic appearance and the slight smell of plastic are like a piece of German post-war history.
Photos: Ingo Hinze – Instagram
Camera: Canon EOS 60D