Unity without Equality

In post-unification Germany, there is a truism that the East is “different”. Countless metrics – from average income to demographic markers and even vaccination rates – show that 35 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the former East is indeed still different. This circumstance means that discussions about East Germany and the relationship between East and West are a constant cause of tension in German society. And yet, none of these debates have thus far led to an increased understanding of the issues. They go around in circles, with one accusation following the other: »You were socialised to obey a dictatorship!« – »You’ve made us economically and symbolically inferior!«

November 2024 marks 35 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. In three recent state elections in the former East, the right-wing Alternative for Germany party has emerged as the strongest party. It is against this backdrop that »Germany’s most sought-after diviner of society« (FAS) has made this nuanced intervention. Steffen Mau addresses some of the more prominent opinions on the topic, arguing against the theory that over time, East Germany will gradually come to resemble the West. Because of the people's experiences in the GDR and during the process of reunification, the East will stay different. Not just economically and politically, but also in terms of their mentality and sense of identity. Given the fact that traditional political parties are less deeply rooted in the former East, Mau argues that we should experiment with alternative forms of democracy, offering people stronger forms of participation, such as citizen’s assemblies. While firmly focussed on the relationship between the two halves of Germany, this book could offer lessons for other countries dealing with growing populist movements and dwindling social cohesion.

»In a debate that is saturated with resentments, [Mau] has written a text that is entirely devoid of them. And he manages to look at the existing resentments with engaged attention … analysing them to reveal their truth content or the nefarious intentions behind them, but without immediately making accusations – at the end of it all, you feel as if you’ve been freed from a miserable mood.« Tobias Rüther, Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung

»Mau writes clearly and strikingly about a complex and explosive topic…« Bettina Baltschev, MDR

»A refreshingly constructive contribution in desperate times.« Cornelius Pollmer, Süddeutsche Zeitung

»Steffen Mau analyses the path of East Germany objectively, soberly, in an almost formidably dispassionate tone … He is not writing history, and certainly not a new one. Rather, he systematically and analytically examines sociocultural indicators and their dynamics. The result is an image of East Germany that, while not new, has rarely been painted with such precision, such clarity, and so convincingly.« Ilko-Sascha Kowalczuk