- spe aking ▁countries ▁and ▁produced ▁work ▁that ▁occasionally ▁d ared ▁to ▁feature ▁cover t ▁criticism ▁of ▁the ▁establishment . ▁ ▁Material ▁Culture ▁▁ ▁The ▁material ▁culture ▁of ▁the ▁G DR ▁is ▁the ▁primary ▁focus ▁of ▁Ost alg ie ▁( a ▁combination ▁of ▁" O st " ▁( E ast ) ▁and ▁" N ost alg ie " ▁( nost alg ia )). ▁ ▁Cons umer ism ▁▁ ▁Cons umer ism ▁is ▁a ▁social ▁and ▁economic ▁order ▁that ▁encourag es ▁an ▁ac quisition ▁of ▁goods ▁and ▁services ▁in ▁ever - in cre asing ▁amounts . ▁The ▁G DR ' s ▁economy ▁produced ▁a ▁whole ▁series ▁of ▁consumer ▁goods ▁and ▁associated ▁consumer ist ▁practices ▁different ▁from ▁both ▁West ▁German ▁and ▁Soviet ▁b loc ▁cult ures . ▁A ▁consumer ist ▁culture ▁developed ▁with ▁( in ▁contrast ▁to ▁the ▁West ▁relatively ▁clear - cut ) ▁prest ige ▁alloc ations ▁according ▁to ▁consumer ist ▁practices . ▁ ▁Architecture ▁▁ ▁Sh aring ▁some ▁elements ▁with ▁St alin ist ▁grand ios ity , ▁G DR ▁architecture ▁bl ends ▁into ▁the ▁region ally ▁different ▁styles ▁of ▁post - war ▁city - building ▁of ▁the ▁world : ▁Pl atten bau ▁sub ur bs ▁were ▁more ▁a ▁rule ▁than ▁an ▁exception ▁and ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁heavy ▁reli ance ▁on ▁the ▁a est het ics ▁of ▁the ▁atomic ▁age , ▁featuring ▁a ▁t endency ▁against ▁edges ▁and ▁corners ▁as ▁a ▁semi - cons cious ▁attempt ▁to ▁do ▁away ▁with ▁rect angular ▁shapes ▁from ▁Naz ism , ▁without ▁much ▁de valu ating ▁its ▁li