A Conclusion After Ten Years Of The New Post-Communist Era

1. What can we conclude after 10 years?
2. What are the main obstacles which hinder ex-communist countries from establishing a new system?
3. What does this mean for the people?
4. Why are there people in the former GDR who would rather like to live in the old system again?
5. Why do the people in West Germany view the development in the new German states rather sceptical?

1. To answer this questions we have to make a difference between the former GDR and the former FRG. In the West people are dissatisfied because the reunification costs them more money than they expected, because Kohl predicted unrealistic figures. In the East people are frustrated because things that used to work, do not work anymore. So there is a very high unemployment rate in the new states, and before the reunification there was no unemployment at all. As a result of this unemployment the crime rate rises sharply which causes even more frustration. The only positive thing we can see is the advantage of some individuals. Some people from Eastern Germany had a successful career and earned lots of money and some west German businessmen found a new market where they can sell their products.

By Barbara and Ernesto

2. Due to their communist-dominated economies and systems the Eastern states now struggle to establish democratic societies. People who were used to being suppressed by their authorities and living in fear of being accused of disloyalty towards communism, find it difficult to adjust to individual responsibility. After years of authoritarian rule over their lives all principles of individual thinking and acting had been uprooted. Being held responsible for their actions, many people are unable to cope with the new situation. In addition, many have lost their jobs when most of the Eastern economy collapsed, which made life for the newly unemployed citizens even harder and made them turn away from the principles of democracy.

By Mareike, Sylvia, Julia and Carolina

3. The people are frustrated that ten years after the breakdown of the Soviet Block. No positive signals are given by the new rulers. The new system brought many disadvantages for the people, like loosing their jobs or their social standards. Due to this development some people want to have the old system back to restore their old lives. On the other hand there are people who want to move from East to West because they hope that they will find better conditions to live.

By Ulf, Philipp, Noman, Sebastian, Dennis

4. There are some people who miss the old system and have nostalgic feelings towards their past. There are several and often personal reasons for this attitude. One important aspect is that they used to live in an economy with full employment. Nowadays the unemployment rate, especially in the new states, is incredibly high. Even the youths see no future and many citizens have no hope to get a job soon. After the coming-down of the wall, the people in the former GDR had high expectations towards their future and were very enthusiastic. But their aims in life have been disappointed. What Herr Gauck said sums it all up: “They dreamed themselves in paradise, but they woke up in North-Rhine-Westfalia.” After putting up with what daily life offered them in a communist country a net of solidarity had come into existence, therefore many people felt at home. Coping with the new situation was just too much for many of them.

By Tina, Susanne and Ines

5. Many people from the West have prejudices against people from East Germany. They had the view that the new German states are financed exclusively from the West, because the Eastern people are regarded as not willing to work. Another prejudice is that the former rulers, like members of the Stasi and SED, still have a finger in every pie. Since the new states had suffered and been ruined in 40 years of communism it turns out to be a titanic job to put them on a Western level. Because of this the expectations of the people in the West have been disappointed. Having had a good life with the wall, the people in the West don’t show much interest in the affairs of the East. Many don’t care about what is going on in eastern Germany.

By Ulf, Philipp , Noman, Sebastian and Dennis