172. In which occupation zone was the GDR founded? In the …

Answer options

1. American occupation zone.
2. French occupation zone.
3. British occupation zone.
4. Soviet occupation zone.

Explanation

The GDR was proclaimed on 7 October 1949 in the Soviet occupation zone (SBZ), which since 1945 had been administered by the Soviet Military Administration in Germany (SMAD). Whereas the Federal Republic was established in the Western zones under the Basic Law on 23 May 1949, the SBZ converted its SED-dominated administrative and party structures into a state order that was only formally a “people’s democracy.” Constitutional sovereignty remained constrained by the Four Powers’ reserved rights until 1990, shaping the special international-legal status of the GDR and of Berlin.