Word: republikflucht
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Since 1955, 3,300 doctors have fled to the West, along with 50,000 other professional men and students. A trickle of escapes continues, despite the fact that anyone suspected of planning to flee is arrested on charges of Republikflucht (escaping the Republic). A 78-year-old East German summed up the prevalent mood of East Germany in a bitter letter to his granddaughter in the West: "When I die I want to be cremated and have my ashes thrown in the Elbe River. It's the only way to get out of here...
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