News & Politics

PHOTOS: The Trabant Parade Brought East German Cars to the Spy Museum

The annual parade marked the 30th anniversary of fall of the Berlin Wall.

Photograph by Evy Mages

On Saturday, the International Spy Museum hosted its annual Parade of Trabants, a procession featuring the East German automotive exports. Despite their reputation for being, well, bad cars, Trabants have earned a devoted fan base across the globe and become a symbol of the collapse of communism. This year’s parade had special significance: Held on November 9, the event marked the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

Our photographer, Evy Mages, was at L’Enfant Plaza, where she snapped photos of the vintage vehicle celebration. Check them out below.

Participants dressed in East German garb and showed off the rare cars, which were manufactured from 1957 until 1990. The automobiles, East Germany’s answer to the Volkswagen Beetle, have become emblems of the Cold War era.

Nathan Diller
Editorial Fellow

Nathan Diller has also written for DCist, Vulture, and Bustle. On Twitter, he’s @nateclaydiller.