Deutsche Lufthansa (East Germany)

Deutsche Lufthansa (East Germany), also known as Deutsche Lufthansa der DDR, was the state-owned airline of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). It was established in 1955 and ceased operations in 1963. Despite sharing the same name as the West German Lufthansa, established in 1953, the East German airline was entirely separate and not related to the modern Lufthansa.

The airline primarily operated flights within East Germany and to other Eastern Bloc countries. Its fleet consisted mainly of Soviet-built aircraft such as the Ilyushin Il-14 and the Antonov An-2.

Deutsche Lufthansa (East Germany) was plagued by financial difficulties and political pressures. In 1963, the East German government decided to merge the airline with Interflug, which subsequently became the flag carrier of East Germany. The name Deutsche Lufthansa was then officially abandoned in East Germany.

The West German Lufthansa, after German reunification in 1990, acquired the trademark rights to the name "Lufthansa" which effectively prevents any future use of that name for an airline based in the former East Germany without their consent. The history of Deutsche Lufthansa (East Germany) remains a distinct chapter in the aviation history of Germany, illustrating the divisions of the Cold War era.