Bye bye Schrankwand

[dieastra]

I'm never sure what the right official term for "Schrankwand" is. Wall unit? Wall of cupboards? Do people outside of Eastern Germany even have those? LOL I mean, from visiting furniture shops/stores once in a while I know that nowadays you only have a couple of shelves and I always wonder where people store their stuff. Then again, not everyone HAS as much stuff as I do ;)

Anyway, the pictures show my old "Schrankwand" ("Schrank" means cupboard and "Wand" means wall, we always put two words together to create a new one). It was bought in 1982 when my family moved to a bigger flat/apartment and I finally got a room for myself at the age of 9. When I moved out of home 14 years ago I took it with me and it stood in the sleeping room since then. But in two weeks some people will come and take it away, and it will go into the G.D.R. museum! We have a museum where you can look at all the old things from the former Eastern German life, I love that they are collected there instead of just thrown away, I mean, it is my childhood after all and lots of memories. And I can visit my Schrankwand there if I want to see it again ;)

And a week after that a new one will be delivered which is even higher (to use that empty air till the ceiling) and so I will have much more well needed space for all my action figures and all the miniature things I buy for them.

At the left side was a wardrobe/clothes cupboard and underneat some drawers for socks and underwear etc.:



And at the right side was an inbuilt desk with a lamp and this is where I did my school homeworks:



And the whole thing together:

Comments

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

Did you also see the other picture I posted in the comments? That's the one I have in my living room right now. The long thing at the left side is a bar btw. It opens downwards and inside I have glasses and bottles. Usually there is also a bigger hole for where the TV is supposed to go in, but I have it somewhere else.

Here is another picture of a modern one, with a huge glass cabinet, where you can display cups and plates: http://static.findix.com/data/adpix/picture_L/eiche-rustikal-schrankwand-massiv-27158.jpg

I just figured out why you might not have those in America! I think the reason could be indeed that in the G.D.R. not everyone had a house like nowadays. It was hard to build one, as you could not just go and buy the items needed, you know. So most lived in apartment buildings, which where small (you should see my parent's kitchen, it is not a kitchen where you can sit inside, it is just too small), same goes for the bathroom. Just the necessary items in there.

So yeah, since we don't have an attic and don't have a garage and don't have a basement, where maybe you store all your things, all of it has to go into the apartment actually! That makes sense.

And then I AM a packrat, I have so many stuff but can't bring myself to throw it away. I love memories of the past, and now with all my figures, I need all this space.

Yeah, the museum part is really cool!

[geekslave.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I saw the other picture. They both look great!

Really like the modern one! I wouldn't mind having something like that in my house.

Yeah, without all of those extra rooms for storage it makes sense why you guys have something like that.

I like having old mementos, too. I have a lot of plastic tubs I keep stuff in .

Stacey

[dieastra.livejournal.com]

I think it is important to have memories of the past. I know some people move a lot and throw away all their things but I couldn't do that. Those plastic tubs are awesome, if they are clear plastic you can see what is inside.

[geekslave.livejournal.com]

I definitely couldn't throw everything away. Like you said memories are important and it's good to have little keepsakes around.

Yeah, them being see through, pretty much anyway, is good. Makes it a little easier to figure out what's in what.

Stacey