German Reunification

Bundestag elections 18.Sept 2005

Party % of votes No of seats

CDU/CSU 35.2 226

SPD 34.3 222

FDP 9.8 61

Left Party 8.7 54

Greens 8.1 51

Kanzlerin Merkel?

Economic problems today 2001 – 2004 GDP increase of 0.6 %/year

(eurozone’s combined average of 1.3%) 5 Mill unemployed = 10% of the work

force (eurozone average is 8.7%) East Germany: 20%.

Exports grown by 57 % since 1999. Eastern Germany remains a major

problem for the country

Division of Germany after WW2

Founding of two German States Proclamation of the Federal

Republic of Germany (FRG- BRD): 23. May 1949

Chancellor: Konrad Adenauer Proclamation of the Democratic

Republic of Germany (GDR – DDR): 7. October 1949

Head of State of the GDR: Walter Ulbricht

Alliances FRG: Member of

Western European Union 1955: Nato Recognition of

Oder-Neisse Border

Alliances GDR 1955: Member of

Warsaw Pact

Both countries become members of the UN in 1973

GDR: Policy of demarcation 1949-1989 1952: closing of the borders 1961: building of the Berlin Wall 1967: separate citizenship

Staatsbürgerschaftsgesetz – Law of State Citizenship

1970: proclamation of the ‘socialist nation’

1974: removal of the word German from the constitution

State Security Apparatus (Staatsicherheit – Stasi) Ministerium für Staatssicherheit –

Ministry for State Security

Role of the Stasi

Factors leading to Reunification International factors: Decline of Eastern block states:

Gorbachev’s reforms of Glasnost (openess) and perestroika (restructuring)

Economic success of the Federal Republic

Factors leading to Reunification National factors:1. Dissatisfaction with socialism2. The economic situation in the

GDR3. The majority of West-Germans

wanted to be reunited with the East Germans.

On the road to reunification Effect of glasnost and perestroika:

non-communist governments in Hungary, Polen and Czechoslovakia.

Opening of borders to the West 1000s of GDR citizens flee to FRG

embassies in Hungary

National factors• Monday

demonstrations: discontent of the people Wir sind das Volk – we

are the people Wir sind ein Volk – we

are one people 4. November 1989:

Demonstrations: http://web.uvic.ca/geru/261/003.jpg

GDR economy 1970 - 1989 1971: economic problems Honecker’s solutions: Cheap housing, higher basic wages,

better pensions, better maternity provisions, better health care in order to have a better work force.

Problem: how to finance this?

Economic problems Export deficit of 390 million DM Import deficits of 100 million DM:

solution: 1972: nationalisation of 11500 private

firms (Volkseigene Betriebe - VEB) Increase of economic production, but

factories old. No investment in industry 1983: production half that of BRD

Debt State subsidies: rent, food, health

= 1980’s: quarter of state budget 1981: debt of 24.2 thousand

million DM Raising foreign currency: selling of

antiquities, art and people

Fall of the Berlin WallFall der Berliner Mauer

9th November 1989: Fall of the Wall 18th March 1990: first free

democratic elections in the GDR 1st July 1990: Treaty for the creation

of a Union of the Currency, Economy and Society

3rd October 1990: Date of reunification – Tag der deutschen Einheit

Fall of the Berlin Wall Maueröffnung

1989: http://web.uvic.ca/geru/261/004.jpg

http://web.uvic.ca/geru/261/005.jpg

Basic LawGrundgesetz der BRD

New Preamble im Grundgesetz: ‘Die Deutschen haben in freier

Selbstbestimmung die Einheit und Freiheit Deutschlands vollendet.’

‘In free self-determination, the Germans have brought to completion the unity and freedom of Germany.’

Germany today

Problems of unification For ex-GDR citizens: Economic: transition from a

planned economy to a free market economy

High unemployment Rise of xenophobia

Opportunities Large market in the East Zonenrandgebiete (areas near the

former border) Improvement of the

infrastructure:transport, telecomunications, culture

15 years on Still high unemployment (5 million

– 10% in the West, ~20 % in the East)

‘Ostalgie’ e.g Good Bye Lenin

15 years on… Die Mauer in den

Köpfen? Wall in the heads

of the people?

Germany and the EU