Wessi

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Wessi ("westerner") is the informal name that people in Germany call citizens of West Germany before re-unification. The counterpart for citizens of the former German Democratic Republic is Ossi. These names represent the decisive differences of the culture of the two German nations. While some people in Germany may consider these names insulting most people just regard them as part of the German culture.

There is also the name Besser-Wessi (besser meaning "better") which is a play on Besserwisser ("know-it-all") and has quite a similar meaning. East Germans used it when they felt West Germans didn't give proper respect to their achievements and way of life, feeling assimilated rather than united.


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