The First German Art Exhibition opened in Dresden in August 1946. Between 1949 and 1959, three more shows opened at irregular intervals. (These and subsequent exhibitions took place in Dresden as well.) Starting in 1962, shows were mounted every five years, with each one lasting approximately six months. Shown here are visitors to the Fifth German Art Exhibition, at which more than 1,450 works of art were displayed. The show included paintings, sculptures, prints, arts and crafts, and industrial design. In the visual arts, as in literature, the socialist leadership preferred the style known as Socialist Realism. Photo by Herbert Hensky.