This was a time when you couldn’t just go into a supermarket and buy everything you needed. There were just the production quotas set by a central state planning committee, and resourceful do-it-yourself solutions had to fill in for the many things that were lacking. It was a time of bare store shelves, longing for Western-made goods and endless queueing. The expression “deficit” didn’t have anything to do with the state budget but signified shortages in everyday life. Generally, whatever one needed simply wasn’t available!
The period spawned many humorous and absurd stories. It was a time when personal connections or a job in the official commercial system meant everything. Visitors can now experience the period by moving down various trajectories that would have been typical for an average family back then.
In spite of the regime’s attempts, people rejected total conformism. They tried to survive, get by and do so with as much comfort as possible – despite the thin conditions. This is the story told by our exhibition.
