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SPIEGEL series "Wir wir '89": Is growing together now, what belongs together?

2019-10-03T20:38:17.042Z


The wall separated millions of people - it fell 30 years ago. To date, the German division is working. It can be read in statistics and voting behavior, it can be felt when we talk about each other. Start of the big SPIEGEL series.



We are since '89

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The former secretary general of the SED and short-term state council chairman Egon Krenz recently complained in SPIEGEL that media would "make sweeping decisions" when it comes to East Germany. "There is not the East German."

"The people in the West are not interested in us," said the popular in the former GDR singer Uschi Brüning in the spring in an interview. The SPIEGEL ONLINE columnist Sascha Lobo noted that in the debate public East Germans would come mainly in two dimensions: "as Federal Chancellor and as Nazis".

And the singer of the Chemnitz band Kraftklub, Felix Kummer, told how he had become sick when he saw election results for East Germany in the European election on television: a good deal of blue - the colors of the AfD. "But I also do not know what the consequence is, what to do now," said Kummer.

Yes, what should be done? How do you describe the East correctly? Does one have to pay any special attention to the East? The questions can hardly be answered conclusively.

All new posts "Wir wir '89" once a week by e-mail .
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This year, Germany will be elected three times. On 1 September 2019 in Saxony and Brandenburg, on 27 October 2019 in Thuringia. And on the 9th of November, the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall will take place. An incision, which affects almost everywhere in Germany until today. DER SPIEGEL and SPIEGEL ONLINE will closely follow these events. We want to find out why the impression of Egon Krenz, Uschi Brüning or Sascha Lobo has become so solid - and we want to counteract it.

In the article series "Wir wir '89" we will publish a large number of texts and videos in the coming weeks and months.

DPA

Willy Brandt on a historical part of the former Berlin Wall in Teltow (Brandenburg)

Former Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt coined the days and months of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent reunification with his now legendary quote: "Now grow together, what belongs together". Is growing together now, what belongs together? Has it grown together long ago?

The contributions will look back and describe, for example, the role of the trusteeship after the fall of the Wall - for many causes of trauma and still today the subject of election campaigns. And they look ahead and tell which region has a lot of startups.

We observe the West and ask what Saarlanders and Thuringians have in common, what people in the small federal state think of the union, where decades ago they themselves experienced a small reunification. And we look to the east. Tell why an above-average number of young members of the Bundestag come from Saxony or Thuringia. Or what it means for students if they have three hours of driving to school every day because there are no more around.

SPIEGEL TV and ZDF interviewed people across Germany for a two-part documentary on how well they have managed the unification process. In addition to celebrities such as Günther Jauch, Oliver Welke, Katja Riemann or Alexander Gauland, numerous citizens will also speak for which the fall of the Berlin Wall had either direct consequences or none at all (broadcast dates: Tuesday, August 6, 9 pm and Thursday, August 8) , 10:15 pm on ZDF).

Carsten Rehder / picture alliance / dpa

Christiane Paul

In addition, DER SPIEGEL will also invite its guests to the Dresdner Staatsschauspiel live in its SPIEGEL live series. The kick-off on 22 August is the actress Christiane Paul, who started her career after the fall and says about the rapid end of the GDR: "It was very sobering for me." All the possibilities that were discussed earlier, "a country with different omens and other values, were suddenly gone."

We want to keep you up to date. If you like, we will inform you from Friday, August 9 to the end of November once a week by newsletter, which new posts we have published under the motto "We're '89 in the SPIEGEL, on SPIEGEL ONLINE, SPIEGEL + or bento.

All new posts "Wir wir '89" once a week by e-mail .
Subscribe to the newsletter right here:

Here is a selection of already published texts from the series. We look forward to suggestions and criticism alike.

More articles on the topic

Structural crisis in SaxonyThe dwindling city

Regional evaluationWhere the poor Germans live

Theses on the tearThe triumph of the lie

Straube / AKG-ImagesEmanzipation on the labor marketSuccess model Ostfrau

Gordon Welters / DER SPIEGELAfDOstdeutschlands People's Party

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2019-10-03

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