An architect discovers an apartment untouched since the Communist era
German architect Mark Aretz has a discovered an apartment in the eastern German city of Leipzig that’s been virtually frozen in time since before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Amazed at the discovery, Aretz described it to a local paper as “a historic treasure trove, a portal into an age long gone.” Its cupboards were stuffed with all manner of long-discontinued products—”Vita” Cola, “Marella” margarine, “Juwel” cigarettes, a bottle of “Kristall” vodka—and all of the items found in the apartment had been made in East Germany, aside from a bottle of Henkel deodorant that was likely smuggled in from West Germany. The 24-year-old man who lived in the home is thought to have run into some trouble with authorities before abruptly leaving: The most recent document in the apartment was a search warrant dating back to May 1989.