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UPDATE: Saturday, June 12, 2010      The Japan Times Weekly    2007年8月18日号 (バックナンバー)
 
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NOTES FROM GERMANY
'East is east and west is west' no more than myth

By YASUKO KUBO

It is easy to forget that only 18 years ago, before the end of the Cold War, Germany was divided into two parts. The western and southern capitalist part was called the Federal Republic of Germany. The eastern communist part the German Democratic Republic. Before reunification, East Germans were not allowed to enter the FRG and all media from Western countries were blocked.

Now, living in Berlin, I feel Germany is beginning to forget its recent history. In particular, the rapid growth of the country has caused the GDR to become something of a nostalgic novelty, or as the Germans say, ostalgie.

The Ampelmaennchen (little green traffic light man) is a good example of this. This graphic was the symbol on traffic lights in the GDR, now, he is sold in souvenier shops and printed on T-shirts. After reunification, traffic lights were standardized but Ampelmaennchen returned slowly due to the ostalgie movement.

Sometimes when I walk through tourist areas, pieces of the Berlin Wall being sold as memorial gifts remind me that not so long ago many people suffered in this once-divided nation. Or, if I come across one of the huge open spaces scattered throughout Berlin, where once the wall and security zone stood, I think about the many people who tried to defect to the FRG. What did they imagine there to be over the wall and what have they discovered after reunification?

Germany is now one of the world's biggest economies. One of the things that amazed me when I moved to Germany was the wealth gap and hierarchy at the heart of this society. A couple driving by a statue of Karl Marx in a BMW, the wife with a Gucci bag in hand, is something I consider to be a particularly modern German image. Yet a competent worker on a low salary is also a sign of the times in this country.

There is nothing left of communism, good or bad. People say "reunification," but in fact, the GDR was absorbed by the FRG. This is something that one can see through a uniquely German tax issue.

When I started working in Germany, I was informed that people who work in the former FRG have to pay a "solidarity" income tax of 5.5 percent to cover the expenses of reunification. This was introduced to compensate for the resources used to help reunification go as smoothly as possible and to support the former eastern area because the government could not afford to do this. My office is located very close to the former border line, and my salary is 5.5 percent less than I at first thought it would be. Initially, I was very disappointed at this.

Then I learned that everyone had to pay this tax, no matter how old you are or where you live. Although West Germans (Wessies) and East Germans (Ossies) pay for the former GDR, many Wessies believe that they are the only ones paying tax and that they are supporting the Ossies.

I always thought this Ossie sounded a bit insulting. But as far as I have seen, they are happy to say they come from the former GDR and are not embarrassed. They talk a lot about the past and I am always fascinated to hear their stories. One of the most interesting I have heard is about the banana. My friends told me that this 100 yen-a-bunch fruit used to be a symbol of the West and a symbol of freedom, in short, it became a dream food.

In the GDR there was no freedom or luxury, but there were also never any worries about where tomorrow's meal was coming from. There are still big differences between the former West and East Germany, and unfortunately, discrimination exists. I have heard people say "She is a typical Ossie" or "He is an Ossie, but very nice." The average income in the west is definitely higher than in the eastern. Unemployment in the west is not as high as in the east.

I do not believe that all Ossies think everything was better before reunification, but they must think a lot about the former GDR era.

There are some similarities between the GDR and Japan, although Japan is not and never has been a communist country. Both seem more harmonious and less divided in terms of social class. When I see BMWs driving past statues of Marx, I sometimes miss Japan.

The Japan Times Weekly: Aug. 18, 2007
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