You know, the GDR was supposed to be so horrible, but also.

You got free (as in free beer), child care. Everyone was guaranteed a job. Children had a special day to be celebrated and the entire city/town was decorated for that day.

The only real things that were bad, were lack of goods, which well... resulted more from embargoes, than anything else.

Well, and of course the dictatorship government, but those two are different issues.