MEETING POINT OF DIFFERENT CULTURES

GERMAN REUNIFICATION
by

Czech team
(Klra Pucholdtov, Luk Bank, Pavel Colledani, Petra Schmauderov, Rchel Kalvachov, Tereza Admkov)

German reunification
3.10.1990 Berlin East Germany (East Berlin, Brandenburg, SaxonyAnhalt, Thuringia, Saxony and Maclenburg Vorpommern) + West Germany (Bavaria, Baden Wrttemberg, Saarland, Thuringia, Hesse, Rhineland Palatinate, North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Bremen, Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein)

WEST GERMANY

EAST GERMANY

- first step to German reunification was the fall of Berlin wall- 9.11.1989. - 1.7.1990, three months before the official German reunification in East Germany, was introduced the German mark. It replaced the original means of payment die Mark - one year later, 3.10. 1990, WE and EG were united. But the joy of the end of divided countries was shadowed by high unemployment, state debts, broken election promises and many unfulfilled hopes.

- most of the East Germans wanted the reunification - after the borders were open, many of them hurried to West Germany - there were huge celebrations in Berlin- free food in restaurants, welcome money (100 mark), champagne, cheers and hugs, 10 000 free tickets to football game.

- there were no spotaneous celebrations in the other major West German cities - in Bonn, Gunter Ingmanns said he set out to celebrate the border opening, but found no one in the streets. - Bonn resident said: My aunt is worried that shell be forced to house some migrants.

Polls
A poll in April 1990 showed that 66% of respondents were for reunification (the figure had decresed by 9% in a year) Among the young (18-37) only 37% wanted reunification, among the people over 50 the figure goes to 88%

Peoples comments
The area where I come from is the one with the highest unemployment in Germany and it's depressing, to say the least. It's easy to say that the East Germans should just get off their backsides but I guess that's not how it works. Most of the young and qualified people have already left to find work in the West or even abroad. What's left in East Germany are ghost towns, empty shopping malls and pubs, old people and the unemployed that simply refuse to leave their homes and families for the sake of finding a job. The wall is higher than ever before - in people's minds. The 'wind of change' has certainly blown away the hope that people had 15 years ago. Nicole, Fife, Scotland

 There's a human side to the reunification that we in the UK can barely begin to imagine. I was in Berlin on a school trip the month before the wall came down. Whilst walking along the wall (on the Western side) we met a man from the East who'd waited years to get permission to come over for a weekend and visit relatives that he sincerely thought he'd never see again in his lifetime. When I saw the news just one month later it brought tears to my eyes to think what it meant to him and thousands more. John F, Oxford, UK

 I work and live on both sides of Germany and the divide between the Ossi's and Wessi's is very much still alive. But maybe if the Western side had taken some time to actually look at some of the Eastern ways then maybe the country could have unified. Clearly, not all the Western ways were the better. The social system, the kindergarten system, working mothers for example. A study was recently completed of 15 and 16year-olds on two towns near the "border", it was incredible to read that kids on both sides still disliked or resented each other. But the German media continually churn out the "Wessi v Ossi" rubbish, so it's always in peoples minds. This suits the government here as people don't question them, but blame the "other side" for their problems. Richard, Germany

 The debt incurred by reunification will take at least two decades if not more to clear and will no doubt have an effect on the EU, although not that clear at present. My sister-in-law and her husband worked for fifteen years at the museum House (escape museum) on Checkpoint Charlie and I have personally met many escapees. Many East Germans have now returned home to the East, who can blame them. The celebrations were beyond belief, but then the truth came out, who was paying? Now we know the answer to that question. Governments since 1989 have thrown billions into a bottomless pit, its no wonder that there is ill feeling. It seems that the then chancellor was interested in only making a name for himself. Life will go on, but Europe may well end up paying the cost, Germany can't and probably will not try paying for both the rebuilding of the East and supporting the majority of the EU. The German government has blundered, and at what cost, to date the German Inland Revenue cost it as Euro 30 billion through unemployment. The cost of reunification, around Euro 750 billion. From a world leader to the biggest debt in its history is a big drop. Will Germany ever recover, or will it drag Europe down with it? Styeve, Bettinghausen, Germany

 Having grown up on the wrong side of the border, ie the German "Democratic" Republic, I am still dazzled at times about the sheer easiness with which a whole despotic regime was swept away. Isn't it funny that a German people should be able to do such a thorough, bloodless coup d'etat? I think we should be dancing on the streets every 3 October, patting each other's backs and drinking to the future instead of wallowing in angst and self-pity. But then again, Germans will be Germans. Maria M, Leipzig