University of South Carolina Scholar Commons Senior Theses Honors College Fall 2020 The Trabant and the Mercedes: A Psychological Analysis into the Disjunction of German Reunification Faith Morris
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/senior_theses Part of the Eastern European Studies Commons, German Language and Literature Commons, Psychology Commons, and the Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies Commons Recommended Citation Morris, Faith, "The Trabant and the Mercedes: A Psychological Analysis into the Disjunction of German Reunification" (2020). Senior Theses. 389. https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/senior_theses/389 This Thesis is brought to you by the Honors College at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Senior Theses by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. THE TRABANT AND THE MERCEDES Morris 1 THE TRABANT AND THE MERCEDES: A PSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS INTO THE DISJUNCTION OF GERMAN REUNIFICATION By Faith Morris Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Graduation with Honors from the South Carolina Honors College December 2020 Approved: Michael Kirkwood House PhD Director of Thesis Yvonne Ivory PhD Second Reader Steve Lynn, Dean For South Carolina Honors College THE TRABANT AND THE MERCEDES Morris 2 THE TRABANT AND THE MERCEDES Morris 3 Table of Contents I. INTRODUCTION 5 II. AUTHORITARIANISM AND EAST GERMAN IDENTITY 7 THE FORMATION OF A NEW IDENTITY: PRODUCTION AND PROPAGANDA 9 THE AUTHORITARIAN THREAT 11 SOCIALISM’S SUCCESSES 13 DIE WENDE 14 THE LOSS OF GDR IDENTITY 15 III. WIEDERVEREINIGUNG 18 IV. HOLDING ONTO THE PAST 21 OSTALGIE IN FILM AND LITERATURE 23 V.