In November 1989, the Berlin Wall separating East and West Germany began to be demolished,
signaling an end to a divided Germany.
But despite the country slowly equalizing in the last quarter of a century, considerable
differences still remain between the two halves.
So, how is Germany still divided?
Well, after World War Two, Germany was split in two by Allied forces.
The eastern half went to the Soviet Union to be run as a communist state, while the
western half went to the European capitalist community.
From 1945 to 1989, West Germany flourished while East Germany faltered.
When the Berlin Wall fell, West Germany effectively encapsulated their weaker counterpart, leading
to a number of lasting differences in both society and economy.
Today, unemployment in the East is about three and a half percent higher than in the West.
In fact, following the unification, East Germany’s unemployment rate went from zero percent to
nearly twenty percent by 1997, and only began to decline in 2005.
This is because East Germany was forced to compete with an already robust West German
economy and currency, leading to many failing businesses, and a rapid brain drain to the
west.
To help, West Germany has spent nearly 3 trillion dollars on economic aid, which Germans have
been paying through an additional income tax.
This aid is expected to continue until 2019.
The transition also caused a large number of East Germans to move West, abandoning a
number of cities, turning them into ghost towns.
Although three quarters of former East Germans considered the reunification a success, only
half of former West Germans agreed.
In fact, poor conditions in the East only intensified after 1989.
From 1990 to 1994, the birth rate fell by about 50%, and the suicide rate heavily increased.
Right wing groups, including neo-Nazis have also found more popularity in former East
Germany, which some have attributed to a disdain for the region’s historically left-leaning
communist ideology.
The differences between the two halves are even visible from space, with the Eastern
half lit by yellow light, and the West by greener light.
This is the lingering result of the West’s foray into environmentally friendly energy
while the East was extremely reliant on coal.
Other superficial differences remain, even two and a half decades later.
But the strongest reason for their continued separation is that West Germany had a big
head start during reunification.
Young people in Germany have predominantly chosen to live in the Western half, where
the quality of life and employment opportunities are considerably better.
This self perpetuating cycle has kept East Germany from effectively competing with the
West.
Unfortunately, there is no reason for this cycle to stop, and it is likely that East
and West Germany will continue to be divided for generations to come.
Germany might still be divided but the country’s economy is now dominating the European Union.
Watch this video to find out.
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