In 1983 the West German journalist Günter Gaus described the GDR as a Nischengesellschaft, a society of niches. The niche, he wrote, is the place where people leave politicians, planners, propagandists and das Kollektiv, the collective, behind them. There they water the potted plants with family and friends, wash the car, play cards and talk. Eine besonders wichtige tiefe Nische sind der Freundeskreis und die Gespräche, die in ihm geführt werden. A particularly important deep niche is the circle of friends and the conversations held within it.