On the east of the country, career opportunities are higher, but salaries are lower
Back in the early 1990s, the well-known Berlin historian Arnulf Baring doubted that the 'inner unification' of Germany would occur in less than 30 years. Opinion polls conducted ten years ago indeed showed that a significant number of Germans dreamed of the return of the Berlin Wall. Almost 30% of former GDR citizens wanted to go back to the 'good old days'.
On the eve of the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Wall, the Erfurt Institute for Social Research Insa-Consulere again conducted a similar study on the sentiments of people from East Germany. In a representative survey of 2,020 people, it was found that 16%, that is almost every sixth person, are in favor of the return of the Wall.
Interestingly, the largest number of supporters of restoring the 'old order' was among members of the Pirate Party and the 'Alternative for Germany' (20% each), 16% were members of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, and 15% were supporters of the 'Left'.
Also interesting are the results of another comparative analysis of the situation in East and West Germany, presented on October 8 by the Center for European Economic Research in Mannheim (ZEW). This time it was about the career opportunities for 'Ossis' and 'Wessis'. It turns out that residents of the eastern states have 'higher chances of achieving more substantial incomes through their own efforts' than natives of the western part of the country. Experts come to this conclusion based on an analysis of surveys conducted in the Federal Republic from 1992 to 2011.
At the same time, sociologists assert that the average per capita income in the new federal states is still lower than in the old ones, where people earn almost 19.5% more. Even under otherwise equal conditions, Germans born in the GDR and now living in the west of the country still earn less than natives of the FRG. At the same time, the authors of the final study claim that today's Germany is, nevertheless, much closer to a 'society of equal opportunities' than it was in 1989.
Alex WEIDEN.
'Russkaya Germaniya'