German Unification Process Research Articles

As desigualdades regionais e o federalismo assimétrico

O presente artigo pretende revisitar o tema das desigualdades regionais a partir do novo modelo federativo adotado pela Constituição de 1988, chamando a atenção para a responsabilidade do governo federal de reduzir as desigualdades espaciais e sociais que se perpetuam no Brasil, quando a atual Constituição lhe garante os instrumentos de planejamento, financiamento e gestão para reduzir os desequilíbrios de nosso federalismo assimétrico, como ocorreu com a reunificação da Alemanha dos últimos trinta anos. No Brasil, ao contrário, as desigualdades regionais provocam graves distorções no sistema representativo, estimulando tensões entre regiões ricas e pobres, especialmente quando a crise federal se agrava, como nos anos 90 que examinamos neste artigo. A situação poderá se repetir nos próximos anos. O artigo alerta para a necessidade de promover o desenvolvimento regional sustentável, segundo padrões internacionais adaptados às vocações e identidades regionais e locais.

30 Jahre deutsche Sporteinheit: Von der Epochenzäsur 1989/90 zur geteilten Erinnerung

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of German Unity in 2020, the article examines the impact of sport during the process of unification and transformation in Germany. It explains why the field of serious sport represented a special area of the German unification process, as West German sport politicians hoped to benefit from East German personal potential and scientific knowledge. At the same time, the groundbreaking reform of the East German constitution since 1990 also led to a democratization of the sports system that shaped society in the “new Bundesländer”. Finally, the often controversial place of sport in united German remembrance culture is outlined.

Contra el nuevo orden mundial. El comunismo español ante la posguerra fría

El presente estudio trata de ilustrar cómo el PCE abordó el escenario de la inmediata posguerra fría. Con tal propósito, analiza las actitudes adoptadas por los comunistas españoles, no solo respecto a la Perestroika y la crisis del sistema soviético, sino también a acontecimientos internacionales clave como la unificación alemana, la crisis del Golfo y el nacimiento de la Unión Europea. Se subraya cómo, bajo el liderazgo de Anguita, el PCE experimentó un viraje a la izquierda que le llevó a fundamentar su política en una lógica de neta contraposición al nuevo orden mundial, caracterizado este por la hegemonía estadounidense y la expansión del modelo neoliberal.

: (Temporary Separate Operation of South and North Korean Economies after Unification: Economic Necessity and Legal Validity)

Korean Abstract: 본 연구는 대외경제정책연구원(KIEP) 의 3년 차 주제인 ‘통일후 남북한 경제 한시적 분리운영방안’의 서론에 해당한다. 한시적 분리운영방안은 남북한 경제통합 방식과 관련하여 최근 새롭게 부각되고 있는 접근법으로서 정치적 통일 이후 경제통합을 점진적으로 추진하기 위해서는 일정 기간 동안 남북한 경제의 일부 분야를 분리운영할 필요가 있다는 문제의식에 기초하고 있다. 통일 이후 남북한 경제를 한시적으로 분리운영하는 데서 정책적 초점은 북한 지역 노동력의 대량 남하를 방지하는 데 있다. 그런데 통일이 달성된 상황에서 물리적 차단은 바람직한 대안이 될 수 없으므로 대량 남하를 방지하려면 그만 한 경제적 유인을 제공해야 한다. 물론 그 경제적 유인이 독일 통일에서와 같은 인위적 소득 증가일 수는 없다. 이러한 딜레마에 대해 이번 KIEP 에서는 노동·사회복지 정 책, 통화·금융·재정 정책, 그리고 국유자산 관리정책 등 세 가지 분야에서 구체적 제도 설계를 통해 대안을 마련해보고자 하였다. 본 연구는 한시적 분리운영의 경제적 필요성과 법적 타당성을 규명함으로써 나머지 구체적 제도 설계와 관련된 연구들을 이론적으로 뒷받침하는 역할을 맡고 있다. 이에 따라 본 연구는 사실상 독립적인 2개의 연구로 구성되어 있다...(이하생략) English Abstract: This study is an introduction to research on Temporary Separate Operation of South and North Korean Economies after Unification, which is the third-year theme of KIEP's on-going Medium-Term and Long-term Unification Study. The temporary separation operation plan is a newly emerging approach for the economic integration of the two Koreas. In order to gradually promote economic integration after political unification, it will be necessary to separately operate some sectors of the economy of North and South Korea for a certain period of time. The policy focus is to prevent large-scale migration of the North Korean labor force to the South after unification. To provide economic incentives could be an effective policy alternative since physical interception to prevent the migration is not a desirable option. However, the economic incentive in this case cannot be an artificial increase in income as seen with the German unification process. Regarding this dilemma, the KIEP Medium-Term and Long-term Unification Study seeks to provide alternatives through concrete institutional design in three sectors: labor and social welfare; monetary, financial and fiscal policy; and state property management policy. This study provides theoretical support for the studies related to the specific design of the system by identifying the economic necessity and legal validity of the temporary separation operation. This study consists of two independent studies. First of all, Chapter 2 deals with the legal validity of the temporal separation operation. In this paper we examine the scope and limitations of the autonomous rights of a special administrative region (SAR) in North Korea, the constitutionality of segregation of the North and South Korean labor markets, and prospective ways to confirm the people's sovereign opinion. First, in relation to the autonomous rights of an SAR, this paper specifies in detail the scope and limit of powers that can be granted to an SAR in North Korea in terms of executive power, legislative power, and jurisdiction, in accordance with the current Constitution, laws and ordinances.

Hastily Arranged Marriage: Political Culture in Germany Twenty Years after Unification

Explanations for the roots and cures of the continuous divergence between East and West German political cultures tend to fall into two camps: socialization and situation. The former emphasizes the impact of socialization before and during the GDR era and ongoing (post-communist) legacies derived from Eastern Germans' previous experience, whereas the latter focuses primarily on economic difficulties after the unification that caused dissatisfaction among the population in the Eastern parts of Germany. The article argues that in order to explain the persistence and reinvigoration of an autonomous political culture during the last two decades in the new Länder, we need to synthesize the two approaches and to add a third aspect: the unification hypothesis. Although the communist period brought about a specific political culture in the GDR, the German unification process—based rather on transplantation than on adaptation—has caused it neither to diminish nor to wither away. On the contrary, the separate (post)-communist political culture was reaffirmed and reinstalled under novel circumstances.

Longitudinal effects of egoistic and fraternal relative deprivation on well‐being and protest

According to the social justice literature, fraternal relative deprivation causes protest, but has little impact on well-being. We consider this view incomplete and predict that fraternal relative deprivation can impair well-being if it is enduring and difficult to ameliorate. As part of a longitudinal study of the German unification process, measures of egoistic relative deprivation, fraternal relative deprivation, life satisfaction, mental health, and protest were obtained on three occasions of measurement (1996, 1998, 2000) from a demographically heterogeneous sample of 1276 East German citizens. Model tests and parameter estimation were performed with LISREL. In line with our predictions, unique longitudinal effects of fraternal relative deprivation on well-being were identified. No longitudinal effect of fraternal relative deprivation on protest was identified.

Die Dekade der Herausforderungen: Deutsche Gewerkschaften zwischen europäischer Integration und nationalstaatlicher Reorganisation in den 1990er Jahren

During the 1990s, mainly two processes challenged German trade unions: The German unification process at the national level on the one hand and the accelerated dynamics of integration at the European level on the other. While the unions were able to develop adequate organisational and functional strategies for coping with the national unification, they can be regarded as latecomers within the European integration process, which developed a new dynamic at the beginning of the 1990s. This dynamic was fostered by the legal framework for the development of a social dimension and the single market – in fact crucial questions for the unions. However, the German unions’ reactions were rather sceptical and reluctant while they had to concentrate their attention on the German unification process at the same time. According to these developments the article deals with the question how far German trade union’s resources were occupied by the German unification process and to what extent this circumstance constricted their engagement towards the European level.

Output dynamics, flow equilibria and structural change—A prolegomenon to evolutionary macroeconomics

In an evolutionary approach to macroeconomics, the market disequilibrium dynamics resulting from structural change need to be properly represented at the aggregate level. As suggested by the late F.A. Hayek, a suitable equilibrium concept required to this end as a frame of reference, is that of a flow equilibrium. The paper explores the corresponding flow dynamics that draw attention to variables not usually considered in macroeconomic theorizing. Using statistical estimates for these new variables for the West German manufacturing sector during the German unification process allows some important new insights on the relationships between structural change and macroeconomic performance.

Stereotypic ingroup bias as self‐defense against relative deprivation: evidence from a longitudinal study of the German unification process

AbstractIn a longitudinal questionnaire field study on psychological consequences of German unification, the intergroup situation between East and West Germans was investigated. Data were collected in 1996 and 1998. The sample consisted of 585 East Germans and 387 West Germans who had never lived in the other part of Germany. It was assumed that East Germans' social identity is threatened due to their fraternal deprivation in comparison with West Germans. It was predicted that East Germans would employ ingroup bias as an identity management strategy in order to protect their emotional well‐being against harmful consequences of fraternal deprivation. In line with this prediction, it was found that (a) East Germans feel fraternally deprived compared to West Germans on important quality of life dimensions, (b) they display ingroup bias vis‐à‐vis West Germans, (c) ingroup bias increases with increasing East German identity, (d) ingroup bias is determined longitudinally by relative deprivation, and (e) ingroup bias buffers the effect of relative deprivation on mental health over time. As expected, ingroup bias and the effects of ingroup bias were larger for the dimension of personal integrity than for the dimensions of sympathy and competence. Ingroup bias is interpreted as compensatory self‐enhancement. West Germans feel fraternally privileged compared to East Germans and consider their advantages to be undeserved. Unexpectedly, West Germans display outgroup bias on the stereotype dimensions of integrity. This bias is interpreted as an effort to appease the moral outrage of East Germans and to silence their own guilty conscience due to undeserved advantages. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Justice and Identity: The Significance of Inclusion for Perceptions of Entitlement and the Justice Motive

After considering the role of identity in justice concerns, predictions derived from a categorization approach to distributive justice and Tyler et al.’s group value theory of procedural justice were tested. Both approaches stress the role of one’s identity in terms of an inclusive self-category (including everyone potentially affected). In a longitudinal study, set in the context of the German unification process, East Germans (n = 179) were interviewed at two time points at an interval of 1 year. Cross-sectional and cross-lagged panel analyses yielded empirical evidence for the categorization approach. Perceived entitlement was based on the inclusive self-categorization as Germans, and at the second time point, perceived injustice led more to social protest the more strongly respondents categorized themselves as Germans. The predictions of group value theory were not supported. Explanations for the results focus on the role of the wider social context and contextual meanings of inclusive social categories.

After the wall: Eastern Germany since 1989

Introduction ( Patricia J. Smith. ) * Politics And Economics Institutional Deconstruction and Reconstruction in Eastern Germany (Thomas A. Baylis. ) Local Government and Politics Since the Wende (Arthur A. Stahnke. ) The Party of Democratic Socialism in the German Unification Process, 19891997 (Jrg Roesler. ) Xenophobia and Right Wing Extremism in Germany: The New Bundeslnder (Molly C. Laster and Sabrina P. Ramet. ) The Shadow of the Stasi (David Childs. ) The Illusory Economic Miracle: Assessing Eastern Germanys Economic Transition (P. J. Smith. ) * Culture, Society, And Religion Shock Therapy and Mental Walls: East Germany as a Model for Post-Communist Political Culture? (Laurence McFalls. ) The Situation of Religion in Eastern Germany After 1989 (Detlef Pollack. ) Structure and Eigensinn: Transformation Processes and Continuities of East German Women (Irene Dlling. ) Radio and Television in the East: A Continuing Odyssey of Change (Joseph E. Naftzinger. ) Literature as Social Memory: On the Role of Literature in the New German States (Klaus Hammer. ) * Foreign Policy And Security The German Soldier and National Unity (Donald Abenheim. ) German Foreign Policy Between Tradition and Innovation: The Geopolitical Imperative of Scharnierpolitik (Dirk Verheyen. ) Epilogue (D. Childs.)

Responding to negative social identity: a taxonomy of identity management strategies

Taken from literature on social identity theory and social comparison theory, 12 strategies of identity management were identified as possible responses to negative social identity. A taxonomy with two orthogonal axes is proposed as theoretical organization of these diverse strategies. While the first axis considers responses as being either individual or collective, the second axis refers to the distinction between behaviours and cognitions. It is assumed that the German unification process implied a lower status position of East Germans relative to West Germans on relevant comparison dimensions, and that East Germans have to deal with this threat to their identity. Hence, data of an East German sample are used to empirically systematize identity management strategies, and, thus, to test the proposed taxonomy. Results support the expected four-factor solution only for those strategies taken from social identity theory, while the responses derived from social comparison research build a fifth factor. In addition, the empirical assignments of strategies to cells of the taxonomy are only partly in line with the expected pattern. The empirical findings suggest some clarification and modifications of the proposed response taxonomy. The most important refers to a re-interpretation of the taxonomy's first axis, which now differentiates between responses according to the specific changes of the comparison parameters they imply. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Women and the 'Wende': Social Effects and Cultural Reflections of the German Unification Process

Women and the 'Wende': Social Effects and Cultural Reflections of the German Unification Process

“What Belongs Together Can Now Grow Together” – The German Unification Process And Its Legal Impact

Since 1990, countless scientific books and articles have been published on the topic of the unification of Germany. I did not mean to add another learned contribution to a subject where everything that could have possibly been said and written has been said and written. I rather intended to familiarize the audience with a rather complex and multidimensional process within the limited space of time of a conference. This, alas!, compelled undue simplification from me. In order not to further complicate a difficult enough subject I felt, above all, constrained to concentrate on the intra-German aspects of unification. As a result, I deliberately had to leave the many international and external problems and developments out of account. This is particularly true for the Treaty on the Final Settlement with respect to Germany (Two-plus-four Treaty) of September 12, 1990, and the Polish-German Border Treaty of November 14, 1990, as well as the termination of international treaties to which the former German Democratic Republic was a party, and Germany's membership in the European Union and NATO after the unification.

Transforming Differences into "Normality". German Unification and the Crisis of the Humanities

The text, written in spring, 1992, describes certain effects of the German unification process on what has been called the unification of two different scholarly systems. This essay examines how, in the humanities, the hasty political drive to "depoliticize" the scholarly institutions of the former German Democratic Republic and "normalize" them according to Western standards, led to frictions and clashes that run counter to "normalization" as well as to the supposed universality of "Western standards".

The property question revisited: The restitution myth

The handling of the property question in the German unification process and Treaty has met with harsh criticism by east Germans and west Germans alike, unifying, for once, both radical and liberal left, as well as some conservatives. Conservative groups in the west were up in arms about the Treaty's recognition of the land reform under Soviet occupation, while the majority of people in the east and also the western left brandished the principle ‘restitution before compensation’ as a major obstacle to investment in the east. This article argues that restitution did not have the significance that is often claimed. In reality the situation was much more complex, and many other factors than the possible restitution of property were responsible for the slower than expected economic recovery of the east.

Managing Cultural Diversity: North‐American Experiences and Suggestions for the German Unification Process

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the usefulness of thinking of assimilation and multiculturalism as strategies for managing cultural diversity. The illustrative case is Germany and its recent unification. These contrasting strategies have been most extensively explored in North America, and these experiences are reviewed through a discussion of the different forms that assimilation and multiculturalism take and the psychological underpinnings each involves. The recent shift in emphasis from assimilation to multiculturalism in Western societies is highlighted, leading to the conclusion that a fundamental contradiction exists between the ideals of meritocracy that pervade these societies and the ideals of collective multiculturalism.

COllstructing the Economic Spectacle: The Role of Currency Union in the German Unification Process

(1992). COllstructing the Economic Spectacle: The Role of Currency Union in the German Unification Process. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 26, No. 4, pp. 1095-1115.

Psychosocial aspects in the German unification process

Psychosocial aspects in the German unification process

The Colonization of East Germany

I would like to briefly discuss some of the social, economic, and cultural aspects of the German unification process, specifically the differences between East and West German society now being registered in the process of transition to a united Germany.This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.