A journey through time into chaos

1990: The “hot year” of the East German real estate market

13.8.2025

It is 1990. The Wall has fallen, euphoria is in the air. But while celebrations are happening everywhere, a very different race begins in the East – a wild, often bitter fight over houses, properties, and the question: Who gets to stay, who has to leave?

The MDR documentary “Wild Ost” (you definitely should watch it – the video is right below this paragraph) takes you right into this turbulent time. You will feel the tensions, hear the noise of the streets, and understand the headlines of these months.

The Complex Situation: Ownership, Loss, and Longing

Suddenly, over a million West Germans have the chance to reclaim lost property. Old land registry excerpts become like gold dust, and everywhere people meet whose lives could hardly be more different:

• Original owners returning after decades, insisting on their “rights.”
• Residents who cared for, expanded, and kept houses alive in difficult times – now fearing they might lose everything. Perhaps you know the desperation of the Türke family, who said back then: “If we have to leave here, we might as well hang ourselves. Where should we go?”
• Authorities flooded with over two million restitution applications – a situation like a clearance sale: first come, first served.

“Wild Ost” – Between Law and Emotion

Back then, uncertainty and an explosive mix of emotions prevailed:

• New laws like the Asset Restitution Act of 1990 were created at lightning speed. The principle “return before compensation” brought clarity for original owners but also countless cases of hardship.
• The mood was boiling – neighborhood disputes, angry demonstrations, even threats: “We will arm ourselves and set the houses on fire.”
• Investors and speculators smelled opportunity while many East Germans feared for their existence.

Restitutions with History

The wave of restitution impacted not only private homes but also magnificent manor houses, villas, and historic buildings. Perhaps you remember these examples:

• Manor houses in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern – some were returned after tough struggles to noble families, others converted into hotels or cultural venues.
• Berlin TV Tower – bizarre but true: parts of the land originally belonged to a Swiss confectioner family.
• Havelberg – a small town where ownership issues dragged on well into the 2000s.

35 Years Later – Is Everything Settled?

Today, the chaos of back then seems almost surreal – yet you can still feel the aftermath of some conflicts:

• Many manor houses shine again in new splendor, others remain ruins.
• Family stories with anger, disappointment, or reconciliation still shape the memory of entire places.
• In some cases, even in 2025, there are still open issues – often due to unclear inheritances or missing documents.

If you haven’t watched the MDR documentary (above), here are some summary examples

Chapter 1 – When Your Home Suddenly Belongs to Someone Else

The Türke Family in Falkensee

Since 1965, they had lovingly cared for the small single-family house, built garages, and paid for every repair out of pocket. A rental contract with the municipal housing administration, 100 marks rent – nothing more was needed. But after the fall of the Wall, one day the original owner from West Berlin showed up. He wanted no new lease, only his property back. In the end, the Türke family had to leave – 60,000 DM compensation was a poor consolation for 25 years of home.

The Klucke Family in Brandenburg

No original owner had lived in their house since 1945. They could only officially buy it in 1988, with an unlimited right to use the property. Then came letters from Osnabrück – demands for restitution, even comparisons to Nazi expropriations. The Kluckes resisted and carried on. But the feeling that their own door no longer offered the last security remained.

Klaus-Jürgen Warnick from Kleinmachnow

A garden bought in 1971 where only a shed once stood. Over the years, he built it into a house – until 1990 when a supposed owner appeared. Warnick had to take out a 300,000 mark loan to “buy” the property he had long lived on again.

Chapter 2 – Nobility, Manor Houses, and the Great Inheritance

Not only small single-family homes were affected – centuries-old estates also stirred desires.

Kuchelmiß, Mecklenburg

1,000 hectares of forest and lake, an old mill estate, lands from the time of the dukes of Saxony-Altenburg. Franz Prince of Saxony-Altenburg returned to see the family property again – and perhaps to manage it. The residents feared a “new serfdom.” The prince promised work and care for the historic buildings – but the great land reform of 1945 stood in the way of restitution.

The Manor or Country House in the Village

In many places, stately houses stood, once seats of the mayor, manor owner, or wealthy merchant. In the GDR, they were often used as community offices, cultural centers, or collective farm offices. After 1990, heirs appeared – or investors from the West. Some houses were sold, renovated, and now shine as hotels or event venues. Others fell into ruin because no one could agree on ownership.

Chapter 3 – 35 Years Later

Today most disputes are settled. Families like the Türkes live in new houses – often built with compensation money, sometimes smaller, sometimes modern. The old manor houses – some lovingly restored with parks and guest rooms, some still ruins waiting for a savior. Places like Kuchelmiß show that historic property is often used today in dialogue: as a museum, farm shop, or cultural center. The pressing question “Who owns this?” is settled in most land registers. What remains is the memory of a time when home suddenly became negotiable – and houses became symbols of identity, history, and the divide between East and West.

Why You Should Watch the Video?

The MDR video is not a dry history lesson. It is a window into the most exciting and painful real estate time in East Germany – with real people, real houses, and real emotions. You will see village streets where history hangs on every wall and noble seats wavering between pride and decay. A piece of the past that explains why some doors only open properly again today.

If You Want to Research More, Here Are Some Ideas That Often Appeared in the Press

Groß Jehser Manor (Brandenburg)

A classical manor house from the 1790s, later remodeled, expropriated in 1945, used as a community house, bought in 2009 by director Siegfried Kühn. Today it stands as a historic monument – a reminder of how such houses swung between use, decay, and new life.

Ermlitz Manor (Saxony-Anhalt)

A baroque gem, expropriated in 1945 and used as a children’s home. Reacquired in 1998 by descendant Gerd-Heinrich Apel, lovingly restored since 2002. The historic wallpaper art was restored in their own workshop – today it hosts concerts, lively culture in an old house.

Groß Schwarzlosen Manor (Saxony-Anhalt)

Historic manor house from 1744, later a children’s home – today dilapidated and empty. A symbol for many manor houses still awaiting rescue.

Rheinsberg Castle (Prussia, today Brandenburg)

Cultural heritage of Rococo – Frederick II’s favorite castle. After 1945 used as a sanatorium, today a museum, music academy, cultural site – with magnificent mirror hall and park. Hohenzollern family claims for restitution failed legally – today the castle is open for all, not returned as private property.

Dilapidated Monument: Groß Schwarzlosen

Still waiting for rescue. Many manor houses stand empty, victims of bureaucracy or lack of funds.

Continue Browsing …

• With courage, mortar, and without millions (NDR series)
• Can you buy a castle for under 1 million euros?