On the theme of East Germany, I can do a six degrees of seperetion to Eric Honecker - one of my university tutors turned out to have been an East German spy (I met him post fall of the Berlin Wall when he was worried and disappointed..). He knew his handler in the secret police, who know the head of the Stasi, who knew Honecker. Actually, thats only four, so as Honecker knew Stalin and Stalin knew Hitler, Churchill etc, my East German spy has worked out quite well. A further possible connection is that large chunks of Hull (from where I am typing) appear to have been modeled on East Germany. Excuse me while I go and check Pacific time again