Published September 29, 2023last updated October 3, 2023
The commissioner for eastern Germany, Carsten Schneider, has praised the economic upswing in the former East in a DW interview. But a new report on reunification has highlighted divisions that still remain.
The German government says reunification has taken great strides in the past 33 years, but there is still work to be doneImage: Sebastian Willnow/dpa/picture alliance
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Over three decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Germany is politically unified, but dividing lines remain, the Minister of State for East Germany told DW.
"Reunification is completed, even if it is not perfect," said Carsten Schneider, adding that reunification needed to be fully realized in people's minds.
The government's commissioner for eastern Germany spoke to DW on the release day of the annual report on the state of German unity, just before the country celebrates its 33rd Reunification Day on October 3.
Is there a wealth gap between western and eastern Germany?
Schneider highlighted that pension levels were adjusted to be equal across Germany in 2023 as one of the main successes of the last year.
Pension inequalities had been a long-standing grievance for many people in the former communist German Democratic Republic (GDR).
While increasing the federal minimum wage also benefited employees in the German states that used to make up East Germany, "there are still differences in wages and wealth," Schneider admitted.
In 2022, the average annual salary in western Germany was more than €12,000 ($12,670) higher than in eastern Germany. Net savings figures reveal an even starker inequality — in 2021, median savings in western states were nearly three times as high (€127,900 ) as in eastern ones, according to the German Federal Bank.
The report on the state of German unity aims to assess how people in eastern and western Germany perceive their living conditionsImage: Michael Kappeler/picture alliance/dpa
The economic transition of the former East
Schneider said he expected significant economic growth across eastern Germany, which he sees as a hub for investments in the semiconductor industry.
US technology company Intel is planning a €30 billion chip factory in Magdeburg, the capital of Saxony-Anhalt. It's one of the biggest foreign direct investments in the history of Germany.
"Eastern Germany is a region that is catching up, in terms of industry, in terms of jobs over the next decades," Schneider said, adding: "The energy transition can only work with eastern Germany because we are the main production site for renewable energies."
However, the number of people of working age in East Germany is expected to decrease signicantly in decades to come, according to figures published by the Federal Statistical Office, Destatis.
At the end of 2022, the agency said there were some 51.4 million people between the ages of 18 and 64 across Germany, of whom 7.2 million lived in eastern German states, not including Berlin.
The next two decades would see the number in the eastern part of Germany in that age group fall by between 560,000 and 1.2 million, while it would drop by as much as 2.1 million by the year 2070. The number was also expected to fall in western German states although, because of higher immigration there, the fall was expected to be less significant.
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Diversity and far-right populism in the former East
Asked by DW about the increasing support for the far-right Alternative for Germany(AfD) among people in eastern Germany, Schneider was quick to stress: "In eastern Germany, there are always majorities for democratic parties in all elections."
While he admitted to the problem, he said it was important not to reduce people in eastern Germany to their support of the AfD.
A recent study conducted by the University of Leipzig showed that around a third of people in eastern Germany think there is a need for a "strong leader" to rule the country, and about 60% think the number of foreigners in the country is too high.
Schneider was keen to stress that inclusion and diversity in eastern Germany had increased. He pointed to the fact the proportion of foreign-born nationals living in his home city of Erfurt had grown from 2% of the population 10 years ago to 18% now.
"If you get to know someone from a different culture ... and increase your cultural awareness, then prejudices vanish very quickly," he said.
So how unified are east and west?
In the state that made up East Germany, the AfD is particularly strong in rural regions, which more often struggle with shrinking populations and lower levels of public services, according to the report.
Schneider said the differences between urban and rural areas across Germany were often more stark than the differences between eastern and western regions.
Nonetheless, he acknowledged that people on opposite geographic sides of the country had different perceptions of the situation the country was in. A recent survey showed 57% of Germans think the former East and West had not "grown together."
But Schneider told DW that political measures alone could not solve all disparities.
"That has to come out of society itself, the interest in it and also dealing with each other, and I think that many eastern Germans often feel a bit deceived and treated with condescension, and there is no reason for that," Schneider said. "I would like to see more exchange, more interest for each other."
Germany before and after reunification
Germany was divided for years, and much has changed since reunification. Here are some of the biggest changes in pictures from Berlin, Potsdam, Stralsund and other places that have witnessed a remarkable transformation.
The Brandenburg Gate
Built in 1791, the Brandenburg Gate is arguably Berlin's most famous landmark. It marked the border between East and West while the city was divided. Located in the eastern sector, it was inaccessible to the Western public. But everything changed when the Berlin Wall came down in 1989 and the barriers no longer held. Now millions come from around Germany and abroad to see the symbolic structure.
The Berlin Wall
For 28 years, the Berlin Wall divided the city into East and West. Many people died trying to escape the 155 kilometer-long (96-mile), highly guarded fortifications — the exact number of casualties is unknown. The East Side Gallery, the longest remaining piece of the Wall, was painted by artists from Germany and abroad the year the country was reunified.
Until 1989, Hohenschönhausen was the main prison of the East German secret police, the Stasi. Political prisoners were locked up and subjected to psychological and physical torture there. The location of the building was top secret and not listed on any city map. It was closed after reunification and opened a few years later as a memorial where visitors can learn about the Stasi's dark past.
From Palace of the Republic to Berlin Palace
In former East Germany, The Palace of the Republic was a showroom of power. After opening its doors in 1976, it was the seat of the People's Chamber and hosted a variety of political conferences. In 2006 it was demolished as an asbestos-contaminated edifice ready for the bulldozer. The Berlin Palace is currently under construction at the same location.
Lenin in Berlin-Friedrichshain
From 1970 to 1991, a 19-meter-high (62 foot) colossus of red granite stood in the Friedrichshain neighborhood of East Berlin. It was the crown jewel of a square dedicated to the Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin. But after the fall of the Iron Curtain, the regime had run its course and the statue was dismantled. Today, Lenin Square as it was once called, is now United Nations Square.
KaDeWe department store
The Kaufhaus des Westens, KaDeWe for short, is the best-known department store in Germany. It's second largest in Europe after Harrods in London. The luxury store opened in 1907, survived destruction during the Second World War and stayed standing in West Berlin during the years when the capital was divided. Today it's popular with tourists and locals alike.
The Intershops of the GDR
"Intershop" was a prominent GDR retail chain, a store where it was not possible to pay with GDR money, but only with foreign currency. As a result, the goods were largely out of reach for many people living in the East. The first Intershop was located at the Friedrichstrasse station in East Berlin (picture). Today that square is a busy retail hub with cafes and clothing stores.
Interhotel Metropol
The 13-storey Interhotel Metropol in Friedrichstrasse opened in 1977. It was a luxury hotel, popular with business people, diplomats and celebrities. Yet, for GDR citizens without foreign currency to spend, it could only be admired from the outside. Today, a Maritim chain hotel stands on this site and accessible to all visitors - for a price, of course.
Playgrounds
Nothing represents a carefree childhood more than a playground. These climbable metal structures (left) could be found on nearly every playground in the former East. Today, they are typically made of rope — so it doesn't hurt as much when young (and old) run into them into them while playing. More pictures of Berlin then and now can be found on Facebook: #GermanyThenNow and #BerlinThenNow.
The Potsdam City Palace
The baroque-style city palace was the residence of many famous aristocrats, including Frederick William I and Frederick the Great. But during World War II, the palace was burnt down by Allied air raids. The GDR times demolished it in 1959/60, and its remains were removed. Today's magnificent building was largely reconstructed according to historical plans and photographs of the original palace.
The Dresden Frauenkirche
On February 15, 1945 — two days after the first bombing of the Dresden Frauenkirche church— the burnt-out building collapsed. For more than four decades the church lay in ruins as a reminder of the horrors of war. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, it was reconstructed based on the original model — thanks to donations from Germany and from around the world.
Stralsund old town
The Hanseatic city of Stralsund in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is famous for its gabled houses. Many of these historic buildings for decades were threatened by decay under the GDR rule. After reunification, they were extensively renovated. In 2002, the picturesque historic old town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The bridge over the River Werra by Vacha
This bridge connects Vacha in Thuringia with the village of Philippsthal in Hesse over the River Werra. With metal fences, barbed wire and grills in the river bed, the inner-German border ran right through here until 1989. Today it is freely accessible, and has also become known as the "Bridge of Unity".
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Edited by: Rob Turner
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