▁the ▁arts , ▁political ▁j okes ▁were ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁out lets ▁for ▁criticism ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁Democratic ▁Republic ▁( E ast ▁Germany ). ▁After ▁reun ification , ▁these ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁DDR - W it ze ▁( G DR ▁j okes ). ▁Political ▁j okes ▁of ▁this ▁form ▁have ▁almost ▁disappeared ▁since ▁reun ification ▁as ▁they ▁no ▁longer ▁play ▁the ▁same ▁sub vers ive ▁role , ▁being ▁replaced ▁by ▁open ▁dem ocr atic ▁debate , ▁political ▁cart o ons ▁and ▁sat ire . ▁ ▁The ▁G DR ▁citizens ▁had ▁a ▁special ▁term ▁for ▁referring ▁to ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁more ▁critical ▁j okes ▁as ▁five - year - j okes ▁( i . e ., ▁three ▁years ▁prison ▁for ▁the ▁one ▁telling ▁it ▁and ▁two ▁for ▁all ▁who ▁listen ▁and ▁laugh ). ▁There ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁morph ological ▁reference ▁to ▁" five - year - plan " ▁- ▁in ▁a ▁way , ▁talking ▁about ▁a ▁five - year - jo ke ▁was ▁a ▁" meta - jo ke ". ▁ ▁See ▁also ▁ ▁G DR ▁Liter ature ▁ ▁Deutsch er ▁Fernseh f unk , ▁state ▁television ▁broad c aster ▁ ▁Rund f unk ▁der ▁DDR , ▁state ▁radio ▁broad c aster ▁ ▁DE FA ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁ ▁DDR - F oto archiv ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 9 ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁( G erman ▁version ▁only , ▁for ▁now ) ▁Bach - Arch iv ▁Leipzig ▁( English ▁version , ▁German ▁available ) ▁R FE / RL