Brain drain

This brain drain weakened East Germany’s economy: losing trained workers made it harder to fill important jobs and maintain production. It also embarrassed the communist leadership. People choosing to leave undermined the claim that communism provided a better life than capitalism.

The loss of skilled workers, including doctors, teachers and engineers, created a brain drain. Vacancies became harder to fill, weakening the East German economy. The departures also embarrassed the Soviet Union: people choosing to leave a communist state undermined claims that communism offered a better life.