5

Tinsel and glitter

Only an impressive chain of office provided Erhard Krack with the full dignity as Lord Mayor. He had this showpiece made especially for the celebrations commemorating the 750th founding anniversary of the still divided city. The VEB Prägewerk Markneukirchen allegedly charged 10 000 East German mark. He wore his full official attire when he received the Soviet state president Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987. Krack served as mayer of East Berlin between 1974 and 1990. His chain of office, however, seemed to have disappeared after the reunification. It was rediscovered only in 2015 when a strongbox in the attic of the Red City Hall (Rotes Rathaus) was opened. Among other – sometimes bizarre – official presents and objects it is now on display in the city hall.