Unity

Mixing oil and water is almost impossible unless you use an emulsifier to stabilise their combination. If you lack an emulsifier but stir with high speed, it also seems as if you can create a combination. However after a very short amount of time oil and water separate again, leaving the oil on top of the water because oil is lighter and less dense than water.

This is a great analogy for the German unification. Former chancellor Helmut Kohl promised flourishing landscapes in the east. In reality, it would take years to modernise the dilapidated infrastructure of the East and bring it up to the standard of the West. And although the enormous desire for freedom among the people in the East was able to bring down walls, the border between West and East still exists in the minds of many, both West and East Germans. This is first and foremost a political failure. The different life circumstances of East and West Germans, including their socialisation and upbringing led to people with very different views on politics and the world. Trying to align those and maybe even combine them needs a strong emulsifier, which might consist of educational efforts, political education, illustrating the different realities of life, slipping into each other’s roles and thus learning from each other. To this day, there are significant differences in salary. Most inherited wealth is found in western Germany, and too many western Germans have tried for too long, with an enormously arrogant attitude, to tell eastern Germans how they should live and behave. And with the growing popularity of the AfD, statements that defame East Germans and label them as stupid contribute to an increasing division.

While I have been living in East Berlin for about 12 years I also had to learn why it’s important to have strong representation of East Germans in both our government as well as democratic political parties. People tend to believe those who have experienced similar socialisation to themselves. Only when East Germans are allowed to have a say do they feel that they are being taken seriously. And to this day, this is a challenge and an ongoing effort, to explain to people why German reunification is one of the most wonderful events in recent history.

And now more than ever, it requires an enormous effort on the part of all Germans to reach out to one another, learn from one another, and strive together for a better future for all Germans. We, who strive for unity and freedom, are the emulsifiers who must keep this connection stable.

Addition: The Emulsifiers: Concrete Steps Toward Unity

Educational Initiatives

• Shared History Programs: Teaching both East and West German experiences in schools to build mutual understanding
• Cross-Regional Exchanges: Joint projects between schools and universities from both regions to break down stereotypes
• Modern Curricula: Emphasizing the strengths of diversity and the ongoing evolution of reunification

Political Education & Dialogue

• Media Literacy: Teaching critical thinking to counter misinformation and populist narratives
• Dialogue Forums: Creating respectful spaces for East-West conversations, both online and offline
• Community Engagement: Town halls, “Deutschland Spricht” platforms, and local history projects that transcend party lines

Long-Term Structural Changes

• Economic Development: Targeted investment in structurally weaker eastern regions
• Equal Opportunities: Ensuring equal access to education and careers regardless of region
• Inclusive Remembrance: Integrating diverse local narratives from both GDR and FRG histories into national consciousness

“By strengthening these efforts that address historical, social, and economic differences, Germany can work towards narrowing the East-West divide and reduce the space for divisive politics.”

Sources

1. Rethinking the Divide: The Legacy and Future of East-West German Identity - Hertie School
2. Commonalities and Differences FRG vs GDR Education - Goethe Institute
3. How the far-right AfD creates divisions in German society - Deutsche Welle
4. Political Participation in Germany - SSOAR
5. It's time to unite against polarization - Allianz
6. Academic Perspectives on German Unity - Oxford Academic
7. Germany marks 35 years of unity despite persistent East-West divide - RFI
8. West German hegemonies in German academia - Elephant in the Lab
9. Educational Inequality and German Unification - JSTOR
10. Political Participation and Parties in Germany - Konrad Adenauer Stiftung
11. Germany's reunification: What lessons for policy-makers today? - Economics Observatory