East Germany, The Berlin Wall And 30 Years Of German Reunification | Meet the Germans

October 3 2020 marks 30 years since German reunification. But how did the country become divided into East and West in the first place? And how united do Germans really feel that their country is today? Rachel heads to Berlin and Potsdam to find out more about communism, capitalism and "Ostalgie."

Rachel moved from the UK to Germany in 2016. As a relative newcomer she casts a fresh eye over German clichés and shares her experiences of settling into German life. Every two weeks she explores a new topic – from allotment gardens to money to language. This week it's all about German reunification and what led up to it.

Are you curious about anything to do with the GDR or German reunification? Let us know in the comments!

#MeettheGermans #GermanReunification
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[---zxzf]

"Jein" translation: "Yes and no". Love how there is actually a word in german for that :))

[christianheld]

as long there is "ALDI Nord " and ALDI SÜD" there is no united germany XD

[atiajanssens]

I live in the Netherlands and when I got for my first Dutch language diploma it said that my nationality was "east German". I am from the south of Germany, so this is wrong either way. I complained and told them they have to delete that from their system. There is no east Germany any more, only Germany. I was shocked that they still had that sitting there in their system so many years after unification

[damondominique]

Seriously bravo 👏🏼 This is how education should be! Entertaining and informative.

[lynettepettitt]

As a kid in 1986 my parents took our family around Europe in a camper van. We went into both East & West Germany. (I'm Australian).
I remember our camper van was checked by security at the boarders, and our camp site was close enough to the wall that it & a security tower where visible. It's an experience that is hard to forget!

[MK-jiri]

Note: Not all German man have the same hairstyle like this guy

[gurdevsingh]

Your way of presentation and energy makes me watch for no reason at all.

[anglogerman]

Had some of my best German holidays in the East: the islands of Rügen and Usedom, the Müritz lakes.... Dresden... Leipzig...So much of it has been lovingly renovated and restored, quite apart from its natural beauty. Without reunification, a big part of my German life would be missing, I am very grateful to everyone who made it happen 😘

[flyiasf]

So, how much of that Berlin-look do you want?

Clemens Villinger: Yes

[beccismith]

Well done! You’ve hit it really quite well! So succinctly as well.
I’ve lived here in Germany as a US American for 25 of those years, and transited through East Germany in the year 1985 actually as well... 22 of those 25 years, 1995 to 2000 and since 2003, I have lived in the eastern part of Saxony, not much more“east“ that you can get. Fascinating time to be here in a beautiful part of the world.

[romel.banerjee]

Actually I love to see Rachel Stewart 😍 and her expressions....that's a big fact I watch all DW Euromaxx video to see her☺.

[bundiboo]

Once again a very informative and on-point vlog. Love both east & west parts of Germany including Berlin - a WWII history tour in one rellies from the east (Potsdam & werder just outside of Berlin) also had a hard time assimilating when the wall came down. I remember in the early 2000's they were still undecided as to which was the better lifestyle although now they unanimously agree the change was for the better. Thanks again Rachael & the team for ensuring that their history remains relevant.

[jannepeltonen]

My first German teacher was from the GDR. German was my first foreign language, I started learning it age 8 in 1988. At the same time, most of the popular culture I consumed came from the West. Although one of the favourite things from my childhood were animations from the East - Krtek, Pat a Mat, Unser Sandmännchen. My family had a vacation in the US when I was 4 and I visited the USSR - Riga, Latvia to be precise - with my grandparents when I was 9. Looking back, living in a country where the "iron curtain" had so many holes was probably quite a unique experience.

Speaking of school. Our school system was modeled after the East German one back in the 1970s. In the last couple decades, delegations from all over the world - including reunified Germany - have visited our country trying to find out why we've been doing so well at primary education.

[cellen]

woah, everytime I see something about the fall of the Berlin wall, I get goosebumps and am tearing up (was only 11year old, when I saw it on tv) ... so gratefull for their bravery and persistence

[kennethfharkin]

What is interesting is that Germany was divided into East and West in 1945. It unified in 1990. That means for 45 years the east lived operating under communism while the west lived operating under capitalism. Historically speaking that is NOT that long. It is just over two generations. It has now been 30 years since unification and the lasting effects of communism upon the east is still being felt.

[ChrisDIYerOklahoma]

I remember going to Dresden a few years after the Berlin Wall fell...it was eye opening. The city was in the midst of "rebuilding" but, they left MANY buildings alone (in ruins) as a reminder of the war. Good video and very factual...danke. Loved you hopping at 3:43 ...nice!

[myeramimclerie]

Germans who think that we are united in our minds never lived on both sides...
My whole childhood I lived in believe we were united. That believe was crushed when I had to move to the west to study. Because you use different words sometimes, you'll very quick be identified as an Ossi and therefore treated as a second class citizen just like the man in the video said. Even among friends, even though they kinda playfully downplay you, but it still hurts sometimes...
Also we don't have as many universities in the east, my major was not among them, and there is a big chance I won't find a job in the east. Even if I do - my salary won't be as high as in the west.
We still are dived, politically, mentally and also cultural. I find more cultural similarities in my chinese friends than I do in my friends from western Germany... This is very sad.
And to all the Wessis out there who still think only the western part is paying the tax to boost East Germans economy: No, you are very wrong, we do pay too.

[johnappleby]

Rachel Stewart is a great presenter I always enjoy her pieces. How about a video on the differences between German cities and regions say Bavaria and the Rhineland or Hamburg compared with Frankfurt? Vielen Dank!

[JP-fuxw]

In East Germany there were world leading technologies developed. For example the common rail diesel engine that was developed by IFA and road tested there first. Before Mercedes Benz came in after the Reunification as part of the takeover of East German Industry. Check out the CRD designation on the Mercedes-Benz cars. There had been other world leading inventions developed that due to the limits put on the East German currency on the world market. Which where never able to get developed properly. It's often overlooked by Western 'experts' that there was no free trade possible from East to West due to the non acceptance of East German currency on the world market. This created an imbalance for free trade. East German products had to be sold at considerable discounts on the world market. East Germany was the Taiwan for West Germany producing mostly for the mail order catalog businesses in West Germany. Often it resembled more of a bartering trade for raw materials. This can favorably be compared to the relationship between the native American population and the European Explorers - that were actual plunderers to be more precise. Again the winner writes the history and makes up the favorable word smithing terms for themselves.

[graybow]

Great video as always. "Good Bye, Lenin!" is a good relevant film.