The German Democratic Republic, commonly called East Germany, existed from 1949 until German reunification in 1990, and its national anthem became a recognisable symbol of that state. The solemn melody was used at official ceremonies, sporting events and state broadcasts throughout the Cold War. After reunification it survived mainly in archives, documentaries and online history communities, where short excerpts are reused to set a period scene or add ironic grandeur to edits about the Eastern Bloc.