Crime in Post-War Germany

Episode 1

The East

In 1945, Russia occupied East Germany. Berlin was divided into four sectors. A country in a state of emergency! Hunger and adversity shape daily life. Thousands of Berliners go to the countryside in search of food. It’s a risky business: A serial killer is at large in the surrounding forests. Within the city, the infamous Gladow gang plays a cat-and-mouse game with police. But one of the most brutal criminal cases of the post-war era takes place in Dresden. Was it the work of a cannibal? What lengths will people go to in extreme situations? And what effect did the war have on attitudes towards law and morality? The documentary shows how dangerous daily life was in the Soviet occupied zone and in Berlin after 1945, and why those who survived the war went to extreme measures.