New states of Germany

The new federal states of Germany (German: die neuen Bundesländer) are the five re-established states in the former German Democratic Republic that acceded to the Federal Republic of Germany with its 10 states upon German reunification on 3 October 1990. Subsequently, the Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache chose the term as German Word of the Year.^[1]

The new states, which had been abolished by the East German government in 1952 and were re-established in 1990, are Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The state of Berlin, the result of a merger between East and West Berlin, is usually not considered one of the new states, although many of its residents are former East Germans.

Since the reunification, Germany thus consists of 16 states with equal legal statuses. Yet the process of the "inner reunification" between the former Eastern and Western Germany is still ongoing.

Culture

Persisting differences in culture and mentality among the old East Germany and old West Germany are often referred to as the "wall in the head" ("Mauer im Kopf").^[2] "Ossis" ("Easties") are stereotyped as racist, poor and largely influenced by Russian culture.^[3] "Wessis" ("Westies") are usually considered snobbish, dishonest, wealthy, and selfish. The terms can be considered disparaging.

In 2009, twenty years after the fall of the wall, a poll found that 22% of former East Germans (40% of under-25s) considered themselves "real citizens of the Federal Republic".^[4] 62% feel in a kind of limbo, no longer citizens of East Germany but not fully integrated into the unified Germany. Around 11% would have liked to have East Germany back.^[4] A 2004 poll found that 25% of West Germans and 12% of East Germans wished reunification had not happened.^[2]

Some East German brands have been revived, appealing to former East Germans who are nostalgic for the goods they grew up with.^[5] Brands revived in this manner include Rotkäppchen, which holds about 40% of the German sparkling wine market, and Zeha, the sport shoe maker that supplied most of East Germany's sports teams and also the Soviet national football team.^[5]

Pornography and prostitution, considered by the government a sign of bourgeois decadence, were illegal in the GDR, and it is commonly believed that Germans who grew up during the communist years are more sexually inhibited than their western counterparts.^[6] Nonetheless, better access to higher education and jobs along with free abortion, contraception and generous family policies made East German women generally more emancipated with respect to their sex life.^[6]

More children are born out of wedlock in eastern Germany than in western Germany. In 2009, in eastern Germany 61% of births were to unmarried women, while in western Germany 27% were. The states of Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania had the highest rate of birth outside wedlock, each with 64%, followed by Brandenburg with 62%. The state of Baden-Württemberg had the lowest rate with 22%, followed by Hesse and Bavaria, each with 26%.^[7]

Economy

The economic reconstruction of eastern Germany (German: Aufbau Ost) is proving to be more long-term than originally foreseen.^[8] The standard of living and annual income remains significantly lower in the new federal states.^[9]

Reunification cost the federal government €2 Trillion.^[10] At reunification, almost all East German industry was considered outdated.^[8] The government privatised 8,500 state-owned East German enterprises.^[10] Since 1990, between €100 billion and €140 billion a year have been transferred to the new states.^[10] More than $60 billion were spent supporting businesses and building infrastructure in the years 2006-2008.^[11]

A €156 billion economic plan, Solidarity Pact II, came into force in 2005, and provides the financial basis for the advancement and special promotion of economy of the new federal states until 2019.^[8] The "solidarity tax", a 5.5% surcharge on the income tax, was instated by the Kohl government to restore the infrastructure of the new states to the levels of the western ones ^[12] and to apportion the cost of the unification as well as the expenses for the Gulf War and the European integration. The tax, which raises €11 billion a year, will be maintained until 2019 at least.^[12]

Ever since the reunification, the unemployment rate in the east has been almost twice that of the west, currently at 12.7%^[13] (as of April 2010) after having reached a maximum of 18.7% in 2005. In the 1999-2009 decade, economic activity per person has risen from 67% to 71% of western Germany.^[11] According to Wolfgang Tiefensee in 2009, the minister then responsible for the development of the new federal states, “The gap is closing.”^[11] Eastern Germany is also the part of the country least affected by the current financial crisis.^[14]

All the new federal states, excluding Berlin, qualify as Objective 1 development regions within the European Union, and are eligible to receive investment subsidies of up to 30% until 2013.

Infrastructure

The "German Unity Transport Projects" (Verkehrsprojekte Deutsche Einheit) is a programme launched in 1991 and meant to upgrade the infrastructure of eastern Germany, and modernise transport links between the old and new federal states.^[15]

The program consist of 9 rail and 7 motorway projects, as well as one waterway project, for a total funding of €38.5 billion. As of 2009, all 17 projects are either under construction or have already been completed.^[16] The construction of new railway lines and high-speed upgrades of existing lines reduced journey times between Berlin and Hanover from over four hours to 96 minutes.^[15] Due to increasing car usage and depopulation since reunification many railway lines (branches and main lines) have been closed by the unified Deutsche Bahn (German Railways).

"DEGES" (Deutsche Einheit Fernstraßenplanungs- und -bau GmbH, German Unity Road Construction Company) is the state-owned project management institution responsible for the construction of approximately 1,360 km of federal roads within the VDE, for a total investment of €10.2 billion. It is also involved in other transport projects, including a 435 km of roads for approximately € 1,760 million as well as a city tunnel in Leipzig, at the cost of €685 million.^[17]

The Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 2003 includes plans for the extension of the A14 from Magdeburg to Schwerin and construction of the A72 from Chemnitz to Leipzig.^[16]

Private ownership rates of cars have markedly increased since 1990: in 1988, 55% of East German households had at least one car, in 1993 it had already risen to 67%, and to 71% in 1998. This compares to the West German rates of 61% for 1988, 74% for 1993 and 76% for 1998.^[18][19]

Politics

The socialist party The Left (Die Linke, successor to the Party of Democratic Socialism, the GDR state party's successor) has been successful throughout eastern Germany, capitalising on the continued disparity of living conditions and salaries with western Germany, and high unemployment.^[20]

Far right

After 1990, far right and Nationalist groups gained followers. Some sources claim mostly among people frustrated by the high unemployment and the poor economic situation.^[21] Der Spiegel also points out that these people are mostly single men and that there may also be social-demographic reasons.^[22]

The National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD) won 9.2% of the vote in 2004 state parliament elections in Saxony, and the party has eight seats in the state parliament in Dresden, just behind the 13 held by the Social Democrats. Far right parties also have seats in the parliaments of Brandenburg and in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.^[23]

In the Saxony state election of September 2009 the NPD lost votes (-3.6%) and seats (-4),^[24] while in the same month the German People's Union lost its representation in the Landtag of Brandenburg.^[25]

A survey of 14 to 25-year-olds carried out by the Forsa opinion poll institute found that one out of two youths in eastern Germany now believe that National Socialism had “its good sides”.^[21]

In 2009, Junge Landsmannschaft Ostdeutschland, which is supported by the NPD, organized a march on the anniversary of the Bombing of Dresden in World War II. There were 6,000 Nationalists, met by tens of thousands of anti-Nazis and several thousand police.^[26]

Demographic development

The former East German states have experienced significant depopulation and extremely low birth rates since 1990, with a recovery in recent years. About 1.7 million people have left the new federal states since the fall of the Berlin Wall, or 12% of the population.^[11] A disproportionately high number of them were women under 35.^[22] In fact about 500,000 women aged under 30 have left for western Germany in the past 15 years.^[27]

After 1990, the fertility rate in the East dropped to 0.77. In 2006, the rates in the new states (1.30) was approaching those in the West (1.34), and is now higher (1.45 vs 1.37 in West, year 2012).^[28][29] Since 1989, about 2,000 schools have closed because of a paucity of children.^[11]

In some regions the number of women between the ages of 20 and 30 has dropped by more than 30 percent.^[11] In 2004, in the age group 18-29 (statistically important for starting families) there were only 90 women for every 100 men in the new federal states (including Berlin).^[28] In parts of the state of Thuringia, there are 82 women for every 100 men.^[27] The town of Königstein has the biggest demographic imbalance in Europe between young men and women.^[27] This is in contrast to many areas in Europe as many cities across the continent suffer an imbalance of younger women to men.^[30] This has led to the concern to local leaders, as a large imbalance of males to females is usually linked to historical social instabilities and increased crime rates.^[27]

Around 300,000 homes have been demolished in recent years. In parts of eastern Germany, wolves and lynx have reappeared after many decades.^[27]

Demographic evolution

Brandenburg had a population of 2,660,000 in 1989, and 2,447,700 in March 2013.^[31] It has the second lowest population density in Germany. In 1995, it became the only new state to experience population growth, aided by the vicinity of Berlin.^[32]

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern had a population of 1,970,000 in 1989, and 1,598,000 in March 2013,^[31] with the lowest population density in Germany. The local Landtag held several inquiries over population trends, the opposition has requested an annual report on the topic.^[32]

Saxony had a population of 5,003,000 in 1989, which fell to 4,044,000 in March 2013.^[31] It still remains the most populous among the five new states. The proportion of the population under 20 fell from 24.6% in 1988 to 19.7% in 1999.^[32] Dresden and Leipzig are among the fastest growing cities in Germany both rising their population over half a million inhabitants again and in strong contrast to the other districts of Saxony.

Saxony-Anhalt had a population of 2,960,000 in 1989, and 2,253,000 in March 2013.^[31] The state has a long history of demographic decline: its current territory had a population of 4,100,000 in 1945. The emigration already began during the GDR years.^[32]

Thuringia had a population of 2,680,000 in 1989, and 2,166,000 in March 2013.^[31] In Thuringia, the migration has less of an impact than the decrease of the fertility rate. Former Minister-President Bernhard Vogel called for a stop to the exodus of skilled workers and young people.^[32]

Total change in population of former East Germany is from 15.273 million in 1989, just before reunification, to 12.509 million in 2013, a decrease of 18.1%.

Major cities

	Federal capital
	State capital

Rank	City	Pop. 1950	Pop. 1960	Pop. 1970	Pop. 1980	Pop. 1990	Pop. 2000	Pop. 2010	Area [km²]	Density per km²	Growth [%] (2000– 2010)	surpassed 100,000	State (Bundesland)
1.	Berlin	7006333602600000000♠3,336,026	7006327401600000000♠3,274,016	7006320871900000000♠3,208,719	7006304875900000000♠3,048,759	7006343369500000000♠3,433,695	7006338216900000000♠3,382,169	7006346072500000000♠3,460,725	887,70	7003389900000000000♠3,899	2.32	1747	Berlin
2.	Dresden	7005494187000000000♠494,187	7005493603000000000♠493,603	7005502432000000000♠502,432	7005516225000000000♠516,225	7005490571000000000♠490,571	7005477807000000000♠477,807	7005523058000000000♠523,058	328,31	7003159300000000000♠1,593	9.47	1852	Saxony
3.	Leipzig	7005617574000000000♠617,574	7005589632000000000♠589,632	7005583885000000000♠583,885	7005562480000000000♠562,480	7005511079000000000♠511,079	7005493208000000000♠493,208	7005522883000000000♠522,883	297,36	7003175800000000000♠1,758	6.02	1871	Saxony
4.	Chemnitz	7005293373000000000♠293,373	7005286329000000000♠286,329	7005299411000000000♠299,411	7005317644000000000♠317,644	7005294244000000000♠294,244	7005259246000000000♠259,246	7005243248000000000♠243,248	220,84	7003110100000000000♠1,101	−6.17	1883	Saxony
5.	Halle	7005289119000000000♠289,119	7005277855000000000♠277,855	7005257261000000000♠257,261	7005232294000000000♠232,294	7005247736000000000♠247,736	7005247736000000000♠247,736	7005232963000000000♠232,963	135,02	7003172500000000000♠1,725	−5.96	1890	Saxony-Anhalt
6.	Magdeburg	7005260305000000000♠260,305	7005261594000000000♠261,594	7005272237000000000♠272,237	7005289032000000000♠289,032	7005278807000000000♠278,807	7005231450000000000♠231,450	7005231549000000000♠231,549	200,99	7003115200000000000♠1,152	0.04	1882	Saxony-Anhalt
7.	Erfurt	7005188650000000000♠188,650	7005186448000000000♠186,448	7005196528000000000♠196,528	7005211575000000000♠211,575	7005208989000000000♠208,989	7005200564000000000♠200,564	7005204994000000000♠204,994	269,14	7002762000000000000♠762	2.21	1906	Thuringia
8.	Rostock	7005133109000000000♠133,109	7005158630000000000♠158,630	7005198636000000000♠198,636	7005232506000000000♠232,506	7005248088000000000♠248,088	7005200506000000000♠200,506	7005202735000000000♠202,735	181,26	7003111800000000000♠1,118	1.11	1935	Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
9.	Potsdam	7005118180000000000♠118,180	7005115004000000000♠115,004	7005111336000000000♠111,336	7005130900000000000♠130,900	7005139794000000000♠139,794	7005129324000000000♠129,324	7005156906000000000♠156,906	187,53	7002837000000000000♠837	21.33	1939	Brandenburg
Rank	City	Pop. 1950	Pop. 1960	Pop. 1970	Pop. 1980	Pop. 1990	Pop. 2000	Pop. 2010	Area [km²]	Density per km²	Growth [%] (2000– 2010)	surpassed 100,000	State (Land)

See also

• Wessi
• East German jokes

References

External links

• The Federal Government’s Annual Report on the State of German Unity 2009
• REGIERUNGonline - Development of Eastern Germany