Suche
Mein Konto
From the GDR to the digital revolution: A programmer remembers!
Find out how my work in the GDR led to the development of the versatile “DAZU” program and what challenges I overcame.
From the GDR to the digital revolution: A programmer remembers!
A fascinating look back at the art of programming in the GDR!At the weekend I had a warm family conversation and an insightful phone call with my grandson that took us back in time. Memories of my life in the GDR came to life and I couldn't help but look back with joy!
Work was my lifeblood!After my studies, I joined Gotha's “Lufttechnik”, where I was offered an apartment for my small family. While I was still at school, I had already trained as a skilled worker in the Jena-based “Carl Zeiss” data processing center, and so my exciting adventure in IT at the Gotha company began. I threw myself passionately into programming the new computer system and had the goal of not only completing operational tasks, but also developing programs that could be used universally!
The birth of DAZU!
With a revolutionary sorting programI outshone the competition. Not only was it operationally neutral, but it could also be sold multiple times! My passion for programming led to the creation of three crucial “pillars”: the data entry check program “DEPP”, a print program for evaluations and a magnetic tape routine. These programs made it child's play to implement operational tasks computationally.
But the best was yet to come!I was headhunted by another company in Gotha, where I developed my masterpiece “DAZU”. The name was cleverly chosen: DA for data and ZU for Zerbst, Uwe. “DAZU” combined all aspects of data entry, checking and processing as well as the printing of the evaluations. When an employee asked whether this could be expected, my ambition grew and I integrated this function. This is how a program was created that could be used universally!
After the changeI decided to use western technology and moved to “AIK” in Kassel in 1994. But the longing for my own programming art remained. A few years ago I found the documents for “DAZU” again and realized that I could no longer understand the details. But the memories of my time as a programmer and the certainty that I helped many companies remain unforgettable!