GENERATION #AUFBRUCH
30 FACTS ON 30 YEARS OF GERMAN UNITY IMPRINT
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2 TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ECONOMY 10-32 SOCIETY 34-60 FUN FACTS 62-74 30 years of German Unity P. 6 Unemployment P. 12 Urban boom in East Germany P. 36 Footba ll clubs of the 1s t P. 64 Bundesliga 11 Labour Productivity P. 14 Migration movements P. 38 Eating habits P. 66 Gross wages P. 16 East German universities P. 40 Christmas traditions P. 68 Tourism P. 18 Categories: "East" and "West " P. 42 Weddings and divorces P. 70 Innovative strength P. 20 Life satisfaction P. 44 k First names P. 72 Average pension rate P. 22 Life expectancy P. 46 Shopping behaviour P. 74 East German brands P. 24 Civil engagement P. 48
Registered offices of joint P. 26 Rural areas P. 50 stock companies 6666666 View on German Unity P. 52 Company sizes P. 28 Childcare P. 54 Company foundations P. 30 Average age P. 56 Broadband availability P. 32 Female employment rate P. 58
Age at first child P. 60
Introduction - I
These expe rience s hav e allo wed Germans to further g row together. The terms "East" and "West" are becoming increasingly blurred.
30 YEARS OF But that this would happe n was not a
GERMAN UNITY g iven. B oth p arts o f G ermany h ad to brid ge a divid e before they could grow October 3, 2020 marks the thirtieth anniversary People in Germany have experienced a lot tog ether again.
of the Day of German Unity. In a few years together over the past 30 years: the first
Germany, which was reunited in 1990, will have participation of the Bundeswehr in NATO's Not only dea ling with t he polit ica l
existed longer than its divided predecessor. Kosovo mission , the attacks on the World realities of un ifi ca tion prov ed to be a big . Trade Center , the introduction of the Euro , the chal leng e. Putting the und er lyin g
world financial crisis and the Corona crisis are basic s o f Ger m an u n ity - t h e
only symbolic of the many challenges that had Einheit svert rag - on a so und lega l
to be overcome in both East and West footi ng and re viving the East German
Germany. economy we re tremendous achievements. 6 7 INTRODUCTION - II „ ON OCTOBER 3 2020 GER MA NY It is these small differences and peculiarities CELEBRA TES 30 that make life in Germany so interesting . YEARS OF These differences will (and should ) also exist in the future , just as there are differences UNITY. between the people in Bavaria and North Rhine- Westphalia or between the people in Without the great willingness of the people in Time to t ak e stock: In our publication "30 Saxony and Thuringia . the East to change, without the East German Facts about 30 years of German Unity" we It is important that everyone - in East and West, "can-do " attitude, without the courage of take a look at East Germany b efore unification North and South - has the same opportunities many entrepren eur s to g et in volv ed and and the current state of affairs . invest, this w ould not h ave bee n possible. to become happy and live well . On the one hand, this involves major economic At the sam e t ime we want to deal with Without overcoming prejudice and a and social questions : How high is smaller iss ues: Which product s from the constantly developing sense of community , unemployment ? How many people move from East hav e prevailed ? What about eating
this great success would have been the West to the East and vice versa? What habits ? How do we spend our Christmas ? unt hinkab le. about the differences in innovative strength ?
8 9 CHAPTER I: ECONOMY ECONOMY - FACT CHECK NO. 1 UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN EAST UNEMPLOYMENT AND WEST GERMANY
20% 18,7% 18%
16%
15% 14% 9,9% 12% 4,7% 10% A real success story can be observed in the East Germany had to cope with the highest 6,4% 1 development of unemployment. In 2019 , unemployment rate of 18 .7 percent in 2005 . 8% the difference in unemployment rates 2 Th at year the unemployment rate in West 6%
between East and West Germany was only Germany also reached its highest level with 4% 1.7 percent . 9.9 percent . 2% In West Germany, the unemployment rate At that time, it was not possible to predict 0% was 4.7 percent, in East Germany 6.4 percent. the positive development whic h the
Not so long ago, the difference between both German labor market would undergo.
part s was still more than ten percen t. 1994 2006 2019
East Germany West Germany
1This development is partly bec aus e of migration from the federal states of East Germany and the increased retirement age in East Germany
2 The unemployment rate refers to all civilian employees. Source: Statistik d er Bun desagen tur für Arbei t 12 13 ECONOMY - FACT CHECK NO. 2 LABOR PRODUCTIVITY PRODUCTIVITY IN EAST GER MANY AS A PE RCENTAGE O F TH E LE VEL IN W EST GERMANY 84,0%
Labor productivity (gross domestic product In 2019, a worker in East Germany 78,0% per employed person) gives important generated 84 percent of the level of a information about how much added value worker in West Germany. Thus, the labor work performance brings . For this reason , productivity in East Germany was 65,633 the indicator is an important measure for the Euro, in West Germany 78,161 Euro. The competitiveness of a region. development is positive on both sides:
Productivity in West Germany has 44,7%
In 1991, productivity in East Germany increased by about 68 percent since (including Berlin ) was only 44.7 percent German unification.
of the level in West Germany. In East Germany, productivity has even After that, a rapid catch-up process set in. By more than tripled - with Berlin as a dynamic 2002, the country had reached almost 77 center, which has grown economically percent of West German labor productivity . In faster than all other German states since 1991 2004 2019 recent years , the East has ca u ght up furthe r, the middle of the last decade . But it has albeit at a much slower pace . not yet r eac hed its true potential .
Source: Volkswir tschaftlich e Ges amtrechnung der Länder
14 15 ECONOMY - FACT CHECK NO. 3 GROSS WAGES GROSS WAGES IN EAST GERMANY IN PERCENT OF THE WEST GERMAN LEVEL
87,6%
2019 81,0%
2004
Du ring the first y ears after unif ication wage s While an employee in West Germany in East Germany rose rapidly . By 1996 , East receives an average gross wage of 37,844 58,3% Germany (including Berlin ) had already Euros, an employee in the East earns on reached a wage level of almost 80 percent of average 33, 145 Euros . 1991 that of the West.
In the following years, this catching-up Although there are still differences, the process slow ed dow n ; relative wages trend in the Ea st is r em arkable. in East Germany stagnated for so me years . While wages in West Germany have increased by about 72 percent since 1991, But i n t he p ast f ew yea rs the East has caught wages in East Germany have risen by 159 up more rapid ly a gain, reaching 87.6 percent percent . of the W es t's wa ge level in 2019. Source: Volkswir tschaftlich e Ges amtrechnung der Länder
16 17 ECONOMY - FACT CHECK NO. 4 TOURISM OVERNIGHT STAYS PER 1,000 INHABITANTS
8000 7132
7000
6000
5000 4000 5425 3000
2000
1000 If one look s at the absolu te number o f Schleswig -Holstein , in West German y, follows 0 overnight stay s, West Ge rmany is a distant s econ d, with less than 12 ,000 unsurprisingly in the lead. But putting the overnight stays per 1,000 inhabitants. number of overnight stays in relation to 1992 2006 2018 the populat io n rev e a ls q ui te a d iffer ent pictu re: T he Ea s t t ook the lead i n 2 00 1 . It The popularity of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ha s stre ngth e n e d its posi tio n ever si n ce . is not surprising. The Baltic Sea coast, the East Germany West Germany Mecklenburg Lake District and numerous Among all t he Germ an fed era l states , an nature reserves provide the best conditions East German o ne is at the forefront : I n for recreation .
2018, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern registered m ore than 19,00 0 ove rnight stays per 1,000 inhabitants.
Source: Statisti sche Ämte r des Bund es und d er Lä nder, own calculations 18 19 ECONOMY - FACT CHECK NO. 5 INTERNAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INNOVATIVE STRENGTH EXPENDITURES 2018 , SHARE OF GDP
1. Baden-Württemberg 5,68 2. Berlin 3,51 3. Bavaria 3,19 4. Lower Saxony 3,13 It is almost impossible to measure the actual Nev ertheless , the fram ework c ondition s i n the 5. Hessen 3,02 innovative strength of regions. But there are East a re good: Ren ts an d the cost o f living 6. Saxony 2,89 indicators that can provide important are low. G o od un ivers itie s att ract ta l ent . information on regional innovation Spending on research and development, 7. Bremen 2,88 capabilit ies. The difference between East especially in Saxony and Thuringia, shows a 8. Rhineland-Palatinate 2,56 and West is particularly large for two of growing awareness of the necessities. 9. Thuringia 2,29 these indicators. A policy that pursues a further alignment of 10. Hamburg 2,22 The number of patent applications per living conditions in East and West Germany 11. North Rhine-Westphalia 2,19 100,000 inhabitants is still more than four should therefore focus on an innovation- 12. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 1,81 times higher in West Germany than in friendly policie s for East Germany . Berlin , East G ermany. The east-west gap has home to 40 p er ce n t o f all Ger ma n s tar t-up 13. Saarland 1,75 even widened in recent years. compan ies , h as the po ten t ial to be a g r o wth 14. Brandenburg 1,70 engine for the eastern start -up scen e. The proportion of people working in research 15. Schleswig-Holstein 1,64 and development in W est Germany is also 16. Saxony-Anhalt 1,59 more than twice as high as in the East , and 0 1,5 3 4,5 6 here, too , the gap is widening. East Germany West Germany
Source: Federal and State Statistical Offices 20 21 ECONOMY - FACT CHECK NO. 6 2018 AVERAGE PENSION 2018 1173 RATE 1100
2018
954 2018 During reunification, around four million former In East Germany, the average statutory GDR citizens had to be integrated into the pension in 2018 was 954 E uros per de Federal Republic's pension system. This was month; in West Germany , women . 658 undoubtedly a historic task. received only 658 E uros per month on 1992 average. If one looks at the average monthly 1992 1992 pensions3 from the statutory pension The east -west difference can be attributed to 860 deutschlandinzahlen
1992 , insurance, it is noticeable that East German the fact , among other things , that most eastern 641 pensioners achieve on average even a German pensioners have more contribution 428 insurance higher pension than their western compatriots. years to show for their work . Women , in 375 particular , were more likely to work full-time in pension East German men received an average of the East and less likely to work part-time than 1,173 Euros per month in 2018 , while men in the West. German
:
in West Germany received an average WEST
WEST OST
monthly pension of only 1,100 Euros . The OST east -west gap is particularly large for Source women. MÄNNER FRAUEN 3 The pensions under this consideration are the pensions of the insured . 22 23 ECONOMY - FACT CHECK NO. 7 PERCENTAGE OF RESPONDENTS WHO KNOW THE FOLLOWING BRANDS... EAST GERMAN BRANDS
WEST 81% 70% 66% 62% 43%
Besides the "Trabi", East G erma ny's notorio us In recent years, the Radeberger Group's EAST 87% 83% 80% 79% 79% contribu tion to th e glob al c ar indust ry, many worldwide sales reach ed 2.2 billion euros. other well-known eastern products have not Rotkäppchen, the best-known eastern brand, survived unifica tion. But o thers hav e w ritte n Source: West-East Brand Study 2016 amazing success stories . Be cause of their was particularly successful . Initia lly, outstanding quality and inventiveness they Rotkäppchen had the same problems as have thrived - not only in the West, but other East German companies during the WORLDWIDE SALES OF ROTKÄPPCHEN worldwide . reunification . Due to the loss of sales SPARKLING WINE (IN MILLIONS OF BOTTLES) channels, 300 of the 360 employees had to Porcelain from Meissen and the watches from be laid off by the end of 1991. But slowly the 140 A. Lange & Söhne stand for traditional brand was able to establish itself in th e West. 120 113 German craftsmanship . Halloren 's sweets are In 2001, Ro tkäp pc he n became the market 100 also very popular - around 4 million scoops of leader in Germany and took over producers de . the cream cocoa variety are produced every like Mumm , Jules Mumm or MM . Today 80 mumm month . Rotkäppchen sells well over 100 million - bottles of sparkling wine worldwide . 60 Those who like it rather spicy instead of sweet,
eat Bautz`ner Senf: 24 million cups of the 40
rotkaeppchen
popular medium spicy mustard are sold 20 :
annually. One thing unites the Germans and 3
Source the whole world: The love for beer. This 0
includes the East German sales hits Köstritzer, 1991 2005 2017 Hasseröder and Radeberger. 24 25 ECONOMY - FACT CHECK NO. 8 NUMBER OF COMPANY HEADQUARTERS OF HEAD QUART ERS IN DAX, MDAX AND SDAX 3 STOCK CORPORATIONS 1 11
10 8
31
3 19 The largest stock corporations in Germany Thuringia ho sts one MDax and two SDax rarely have their headquarters in East companies . Mecklenburg -Vorpommern is 4 SDAX home to one SDax company. Germany. Am ong the 30 Dax companies , MDAX only Deutsche Wohnen and Siemens have DAX their headquarters in Berlin. But Brandenburg, Saxony and Saxony- Anh alt have - at lea st so far - none. T hus , from the 160 co m pan ies lis t ed in D ax, Berlin is also home to four companies 39 MDax and S D ax, on ly 12 (7.5 percent) are listed on the MDax and two companies 17 ba sed in E ast German y listed on the SDax. But other sta te s in
eastern Germ any a re less succes sful. Source: Wikipedia, own calculations
26 27 ECONOMY - FACT CHECK NO. 9 COMPANY SIZES SHARE OF EMPLOYEES IN EAST AND WEST GERMANY IN COMPANIES
1-19 20-99 100-249 +250 EMPLOYEES: EMPLOYEES: EMPLOYEES: EMPLOYEES: 24,05% 26,44% 25,98% 28,66% 15,61% 16,66% 34,36% 28,29%
Compared to West Germany, the East German That is because larger companies invest economic structure is more strongly more in research and development , are characterized by small and medium-sized more export - oriented and serve as anchor companies. The percentage of employees points for further company settlements.4 working in companies with more than 250 employees is significantly higher in the West But smaller companies also offer advantages: than in the East (34% vs. 28%). they ensure a diversified economic structure in thei r region s and make the m less dependent Employees in East Germany , on the other on individual large corporations . Th us, an hand, are predominantly employed in small economic policy that supports small and and medium-sized companies. Experts see medium-sized companies also serves as a this "smallness" as one reason for the support program for the East German West Germany East Germany continuing weakness of innovation in eastern economy. Germany. Source: Statistics of the Federal Employment Agency, own calculations 4 See e.g. DIW Econ (2015): The small-scale nature of the East German economy (https://diw-econ.de/wpcontent / 28 uploads/2015/06/DIW-Econ_Kleinteiligkeit-der-ostdeutschen-Wirtschaft_v4.0_online.pdf) 29 ECONOMY - FACT CHECK NO. 10 COMPANY FOUNDATIONS COMPANY FOUNDATIONS PER 1,000 INHABITANTS
8 6 8,5 „ 2018 In terms of the number of companies founded, 8,2 East Germany still lags far behind the West . In WITH BERLIN THE EAST 2002 2018, there were only six companie s started per HOSTS THE CA PITAL OF 1,000 inhabitants in the five eastern German *
states. THE GERMAN START -UP 2002 EAST
SCENE. 2018 In West Germany, however, there were more * without Berlin than 8 company foundations per 1,000 inhabitants. But with Berlin, eas tern Germany has the undisputed founding stronghold. There 12,1 are more than 12 companies founded per 1,000 WEST inhabitants in the federal capital. 10 Eastern German states cou ld b en e fit even more from Berlin as a start -up engine . 2018 Therefore , the Berlin start -up scene should be 2002 better lin k ed with the surrounding cities and BERLIN thei r uni ver sities. Source: Statistis che Ämte r des Bunde s und der Länder
30 31 ECONOMY - FACT CHECK NO. 11 HOUSEHOLDS WITH FAST BROADBAND BROADBAND AVAILABILITY INTERNET*
90%
75,2% 1. Bremen: 97,9% 97,9% 2. Hamburg: 97,9%
97,9% 3. Berlin: 97,6% 4. Saarland: 94,7% 97,6% 88,5% 5. North Rhine-Westphalia: 93,1% 6. Bavaria: 92% 74% 85,6% 7. Hessen: 91,3%
93,1% 8. Schleswig-Holstein: 90% 9. Baden-Württemberg: 90% 82,4% 87,3% 10. Lower Saxony: 88,5% 11. Rhineland-Palatinate: 88,1% 88,1% 91,3% Access to high-speed internet will become even Politicians must therefore do everything in their 12. Thuringia: 87,3% more important in the future. No innovative power to drive forward the expansion of fiber 13. Brandenburg: 85,6% company will settle in a region where no fast optics . 94,7% 14. Saxony: 82,4% internet is available. 15. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: 75,2% In order to make fiber optic expansion in rural 16. Saxony-Anhalt: 74% A look at broadband availability in the 16 federal areas more attractive, tenders should take the 92% states shows that the five eastern Germa n form of regional clusters. These clusters bring 90% states have enormous disadvantages in this together attra ctive rural and urban regions in area . need of support.
*Households with a connection > 50 Mbit/s
32 Source: BMWI - Current broadband availability in Germany 33 CHAPTER II: SOCIETY SOCIETY - FACT CHECK NO. 12 URBAN BOO M IN POPULATION GROWTH FROM 2010 TO 2018 EAST GERMANY 3,0% 5,3% 13,5%
ROSTOCK
BERLIN
POTSDAM 3,1% 1,8%
COTTBUS MAGDEBURG 2,7% 12,4% 6,0%
HALLE
LEIPZIG 1,6% 4,2% DRESDEN
6,0% East Germany is home to eleven major cities , Dresden and Jena have also grown faster than CHEMNITZ
i.e. eleven cities with a pop ulatio n of mor e than the federal capital Berlin since 2010. ERFURT
100,000. Although most people only talk about JENA the population explosion in Berlin , one can Only Cottbus has lost inhabitants in this period. speak of a real urban boom in East Germany. This mig ht mean that the city m ay soon lose its "big city status ". The current population Since 2010, ten of the eleven major east level is only 219 inhabitants above the crucial German cities have gained inhabitants, and limit of 100 ,000 .
not by a narrow margin : Potsdam and Leipzig have recorded double -digit growth rates ; Source: Statistis che Ämte r des Bund es und d er Lä nder, own calculations 36 37 SOCIETY - FACTCHECK NO. 13 MIGRATION MOVEMENTS MIGRATION MOVEMENTS WITHIN GERMANY
250.000
200.000
150.000
100.000
50.000 Until 2016 , each year more people moved In the following years, however, the from East to West Germany than vice v ersa. mi gration from Eas t to West decreased. 0 These waves of migration were particularly 2006 2018 strong in the first years after German In 2017, for the first time, more
reunification and the n again after the turn of people moved from West to East
the millennium when unemployment in East than in the opposite direction. This Moving from East to West* Moving from West to East* Germany reached its highest level and young continued in 2018. The time of
adults in particular moved to West . emigration waves seems to be
finally over for East Germany.
**Without Berlin Source: Statistis che Ämte r des Bund es und der Länder 38 39 SOCIETY - FACT CHECK NO. 14 EAST GERMAN NET MIGRATION FOR EAST GERMANY (WITHOUT BERLIN)1* UNIVERSITIES
2386 25.000 652 „ 0 -1955 EAST GERMAN UNIVERSITIES -25.000
ARE INCREASINGLY -50.000 ATTRACTIVE FOR STUDENTS. -75.000
East German universities are increasingly -100.000 attractive for students. 1992 2004 2018 From 1996 to 2009 there was more net migration of students from East to West. First-year students2* 18- to 25-year-olds Total Bu t in the 2017 academic year around 2400 first -year students mo re moved from West German to East German states than vice versa . 1 *Without Berlin / 2*1992/2018 no values for first-year students available Source: Statisti sches Bund esamt (Destatis), 2020
40 41 SOCIETY - FACT CHECK NO. 15 CATEGORIES: NUMBER OF BIRTHS IN GERMANY „EAST“ AND „WEST“
900.000
790.000 795 .000 „ 690.000 AR E "EAST" AND "WEST" STILL VAL ID TE RMS?
0 1992 1998 2007 2018
Between 1990 and 2018 , about 21.5 million Probably no one born after 1986 will actively 1* people were born in Germany . All these people remember the division of Germany. With these 21,5 Millions have never personally experienced the division figures, one must seriously ask oneself of Germany. The y know it only from stories . whether, and for how long , the way of thinking in the categories "East" and "West" is still valid. 1*Total number of births between 1992 - 2018
Source: Statisti sche Ämte r des Bund es und der Länder
42 43 SOCIETY - FACT CHECK NO. 16 LIFE SATISFACTION LIFE SATISFACTION IN GERMANY BY REGION IN 2019
7,4
7,2
7,0
6,8
6,6
6,4 Currently, G erma ns evalu ate their life converge between the two parts of the 6,2 satisfaction on a scale from 0 to 10 with country. 7.14* 6,0 In West Germany, this value is 7.17, wh ile This development has been most clearly it is 7. 0 in E as t Germ a ny. In 2019 , East visible in the past ten years in terms of 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2019 Germany achieved the highest level of satisfaction with work, personal and satisfaction since German unification. household income. People in East Germany are now just as satisfied with their leisure East Germany West Germany Total Since 2004/2005, the average level of life time as people in West Germany. satisfaction in West and East Germany has developed almost uniformly and the *0: not satisfied at all, 10: completely satisfied levels of life satisfaction have continued to Source: Deutsche Post Happiness Atlas 2019 44 45 SOCIETY - FACT CHECK NO. 17 LIFE EXPECTANCY LIFE EXPECTANCY IN EAST AND WEST
85
80
Immediately after reunification , the life For babies born between 2016 and 2018 , 75 expectancy of newborns in E a st the differences between East and West are 70 Germany was still well below the life already much smaller. In s om e aspects , the 65 expectancy in West Germany . pendulum has eve n s wung the othe r way : 60 Newborn girls in East Germany now have 77,37 83,26 83,29 69,86 73,11 77,18 79,48 A boy who was born in East Germany between the highest life expectancy in Germany. A 55 78,73 1991 and 1993 could expect to live for 69.86 girl born in East Germany between 2016 50 years. At the same time, a newborn boy in and 2018 has a life expectancy of 83 .29 1991-1993 2016-2018 West Germany had a life expectancy of 73.11 years - slightly longer tha n a girl born in the years. western p art of the fe deral republic.
East Germany West Germany This difference was somewhat smaller for girls. A girl born b etw e en 19 91 and 19 93 in East Germany had a life expectancy of 77.18 . In West Germany the girl would had a life expectancy of 79.48 years.
Source: Statisti sche Ämte r des Bund es und der Länder
46 47 SOCIETY - FACT CHECK NO. 18 CIVIC ENGAGEMENT CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IN EAST AND WEST 41,5% 38,5 % 35,7 % EAST 46,8 % People in West Germany show m ore civic Since the first volunteer survey in 1999, however, 44,8 % engagement than in East Germany . The the proportion of volunteers in East Germany has
42,9 % most recent data comes from the Volunteer increased significantly . Since then , the proportion Survey 2014 , according to which 44 . 8 of volunteers in East Germany (including Berlin ) WEST percent of all West Germans are volunteers has increased by 10. 6 percentage points . in their free time . The highest level of civic commitment is found in In East Germany , this share is only 38 .5 Rhineland -Palatinate with a commitment rate of percent. The survey data show that there is a 48.3 percent. In East Germany , Mecklenburg - particularly large east-west difference in the Vorpommern leads the way with 42 .8 percent. Men Women Total level of civic engagement among women.
Source: Freiwillige nsurvey 2014
48 49 STÄDTISCHER
SOCIETY - FACT CHECK NO. 19 RURAL AREAS URBAN AND RURAL AREA
EAST 79% RURAL CHARACTER
A glance at the map of Germany quickly per square kilometer . I n the old f ed eral makes it clear that eastern Germany is states, there are 268 people per square much more rural than western Germany . kilometer , which i s more than twice as many.5 While 142 of the 324 districts in West German y (approx . 44 percent ) are rural , in When analyzing the economic differences the East 61 of the 77 districts (approx . 79 between East and West Germany , this fact Rural area percent) are rural.4 should always be kept in mind , since the economic potential of rural regions is not WEST This is also reflected in the population comparable with the economic power of 44% density . In the new federal states urban regions. RURAL (excluding Berlin), 116 people live Urban space CHARACTER
4 The distinction between rural and urban regions is based on the definition of the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR). This is based on three characteristics: population share of the district in large and medium-sized cities, population density of the district, population density of the district without large and medium-sized cities. Source: BBSR, raumbeobachtung.de
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53 SOCIETY - FACT CHECK NO. 21 CHILDCARE 60,0 % 50,0 % East Ger many 51,1 %
F 40,0 % O West Ger many 29,4 %
E 30,0 %
20,0%% RAT
YEARS 10,0%%
2
- 0,0 % CARE 0
100,0 %
F 97,0 % O
Even 30 years after the reunification , a much In 2018, the care rates of three to f ive- E
S 94,0 %
higher pe rcen tage o f East German s us e year- olds in East and West Germ any T R A
A 91,0%
childcare fac ilities than We sterners. T he were only one percentage point apart. R E
E Y East Ger many 94,1 % difference in childcare rates is more than 20 88,0 % R 5 A percentage points , especially for children The figures also reflect that in the former - West Ger many 93,1 % C 3 85,0 % under three years of age. GDR it was more c om mo n to use external childcare . 2006 2009 2012 2015 2018 East German y also t ops th e ta ble in the care of children between the ages of three and five . But West G e rma ny is slowly catching up. Source: BMFSFJ – Kindertagesbetreuung Kompakt
54 55 SOCIETY - FACT CHECK NO. 22 AVERAGE AGE AVERAGE AGE OF THE POPULATION (2018)
1. Saxony-Anhalt 47,8 2. Thuringia 47,2 3. Brandenburg 47,0 4. Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 47,0 5. Saxony 46,8 6. Saarland 46,2 7. Schleswig-Holstein 45,2 On average, people in eas tern stat es In East Germany , the average age has 8. Rhineland-Palatinate 44,8 are significantly older than in western stat es . risen from 37.9 to 46.3 years since 1990. 9. Lower Saxony 44,6 In West Germany, the average age rose In terms of average age, the five East from 39.6 years to 44.0 years in the same 10. North Rhine-Westphalia 44,1 German states occupy the top five places 6 period. in a national comparison. 11. Bavaria 43,8
12. Hessen 43,8 This development was influenced in particular by Saxony -Anhalt occupies the top position with declining birth rate s and migration losses . Due 13. Bremen 43,6 47.8 years. At the lower end of the table are the to the positive development observed in recent 14. Baden-Württemberg city states of Hamburg and Berlin. There the 43,2 years, it can be assumed that the difference in average age of people is 42.1 and 42.6 years , 15. Berlin 42,6 average age between East and West will not respectively. 16. Hamburg increase further. 42,1
East Germany 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 West Germany
6 Leibniz Institute for Economic Research Halle (2019): Average age of the population: marked east-west divide (https://www.iwh-halle.de/publikationen/detail/aktuelle-trends-durchschnittsalter-der-bevoelkerung -deutliches- Source: Statisti sche Ämte r des Bund es und der Länder 56 ost-west-gefaelle/) 57 SOCIETY - FACT CHECK NO. 23 FEMALE EMPLOYMENT FEMALE EMPLOYMENT RATE
RATE 77,2 80 77,8
75
70
65
73,6 60 In the former GDR, women's professional But West Germany is slowly catching up: In 2018 activity was more or le ss a giv en . the difference between East and West was only Comprehensive childcare facilities, which 3.6 percentage points. 55 58 made it possible to reconcile work and family life in the first place contributed to this . This adjustment is also only possible because childcare rates in t he West are slowly adjusting to 50 The female employment rate measures the the East German level . 1991 2004 2018 share of the female labour force among all women aged 15 to under 65 years. This rate is East Germany West Germany still significantly higher in East Germany than in West .
Source: Bundes agentur für A rbeit - D e r Ar beitsm arkt in D e utschland 2018
58 59 SOCIETY - FACT CHECK NO. 24 AGE AT BIRT H OF T HE AVERAGE AGE OF THE MOTHER AT THE BIRTH OF THE FIRST CHILD FIRST CHILD
32 30,2
28,3 28,3 30 29,3
28 27 23,4 24,9 26 24,6
24 23,4
The average age of mothers at the birth of their By the turn of the millennium this difference had 22 first child adjusted very quickly after the vanis hed. In 2001 , the first child was born in both reunification. In 1990, the east-west difference East and West at an average age of 28 .3 years . 1975 1990 2001 2019 was still 2.4 years. Mothers in eastern Germany Since then, mothers in both West and East were on average 24.6 years old at the birth of Germany have been getting older and older at the East Germany West Germany their first child; in We st Ge rma ny the average birth of their first child. According to the latest age of expectant mothers was 27 years . data, however, the average age fell slightly again last year. Source: Statistis ches Bund esamt
60 61 CHAPTER III: FUN FACTS FUN FACTS - FA CT CHECK NO . 25 FOOTBAL L CLU BS IN NUMBER OF EAST GERMAN THE 1.BUNDESLIGA FOOTB ALL CLUBS IN THE 1. BUNDESLIGA
2
„ 2 1 BETWEEN 2009 AND
2 2016 NO EASTERN 1 0 East German football clubs in the 1st 1 0 2020/2021 Bundesliga are unfortunately still in short 1 CLUB WAS ACTIVE 2016/2017 supply. In none of the 29 seasons since 2015/2016 2009/2010 German reunification more than two clubs IN THE 1ST LEAGUE. 2002/2003
from the East competed in Germany's highest 2000/2001 1997/1998 league. 1995/1996 1991/1992 Betw een 2009 and 2016 t he s ituatio n wa s Since the 2019/2020 season, there are particularly bad: during this period , no again two eastern clubs in the Bundesliga. In eastern club was active in the 1st Bundesliga. addition to RB Leipzig, the East Berlin cult This changed when R B L eipzig were club Union Berlin is now also compet ing in
7 promote d to the to p lea gu e. In the ir fir st the 1st Bundesliga . season they cam e i n sec ond.
Source: weltfussball.de, own calculations 7 With Hertha BSC, there is a second Berlin club in the 1st Bundesliga. However, the club is based in the district of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf in the west of Berlin. 64 65 FUN FACTS - FACT CHECK NO. 26 EATING HABITS EATING HABITS IN EAST AND WEST
80% AND
69% SWEETS MUNCHIES y n a
y 43% m
n 24%
r a e G
m 14%
r ES t e s G a
In terms of eating habits , there are still In West Germany , people eat sweets and E AND snacks more often. 24 percent of people in the some differences between East and West.
West PROD 26% West say that they eat sweets or snacks every In the East , 43 percent of people eat meat or sausages every day. In the West this day, compared to only 14 percent in the East. AND FRUIT VEGETABL proportion is only 26 percent.
On the other hand, fruit and vegetables SAUSAGE MEAT are also eaten more frequently in eastern
Germany. 80 percent of people in the East and 69 percent of people in the West eat fruit and vegetables every day.
Source: BMEL Food Report 2019 66 67 CHRISTMAS DINNER (PERCENTAGE OF RESPONDENTS FUN FACTS - FACT CHECK NO. 27 WHO USUALLY EAT THE FOLLOWING ON CHRISTMAS EVE)
CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS 60% 57% BRINGER OF 42% CHRISTMAS PRESENTS 40% 17% ND 13% 13% 12% I K 20% 16% T
9% 8% 7% RetailMeNot
:
Source 47% 0% CHRIS 84% A T
„ N Sausages & Poultry Fish Raclette Fondue A S CHRISTMAS IS THE Potato Salad 5% Christmas is the biggest celebration of the year in BIGGEST FESTIVAL OF Ea st an d W e st Germany . For this reason people Source: TNS Emnid 36% are also prepared to spend a lot of money on THE YEAR IN EAST PLANNED EXPENDITURE presents . In 2019, respondents in the Wes t AND WEST GERMANY FOR CHRISTMAS PRESENTS planned to spend slightly more on gifts than in the East ( 285 euros vs . 265 euros ). 340 285 While in the East these gifts are mainly 290 265 brought by Santa Claus , it's th e "Ch ristk ind" But there is wi de agreement about Christmas East Germany* who is re sp onsible for de liv erin g gifts in the dinner. In b oth Eas t an d W est, sausages and West Germany* West. potato salad are the most popular Christmas 240 food. 57 percent of easter n and 42 percent of 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 wes tern ho use holds se rv e these for C hri stm as. Source: Valid Research
**Legends apply to all graphics on page 69 68 69 FUN FACTS - FACT CHECK NO. 28 MARRIAGES PER 1,000 INHABITANTS WEDDINGS AND 8 6,45 4,97 DIVORCES 6
4 2 6,45 4,85 0 1992 2006 2018
„ DIVORCES PER 1,000 INHABITANTS IN EAST GERMANY , THE 3,0 RATIO OF MARRIAGES VS . 2,5 2,1 2,00 DIVORCES IS HIGHER THAN West Germany is ahead of East Germa ny 2,0 both in marriages as well as in divorces IN THE WEST.
per inhabitants. 1,5 1,0
In 2018, marriages per 1,000 inhabitants 1,77 st ood at 4. 97 in the W est and 4 .85 in the If one compares the number of marriages and 0,5 divorces, the East has been ahead since 2005. At 1,8 East . The West is slightly ahead in divorces . 0
In West Germany , there were about 2 present there is one divorce per 3.35 marriages
divorces per 1, 000 inhabitants , in East in the East whereas in the West the re is one 1992 2006 2018
Germany the n u mb e r is about 1.77 . divorce pe r 2 .97 marriages .
East Germany West Germany
Source: Statistis che Ämte r des Bund es und d er Lä nder, own calculations 70 71 FUN FACTS - FACT CHECK NO. 29 FIRST NAMES FIRST NAMES IN RANKING
GIRLS BOYS
EAST WEST EAST WEST
HANNA / HANNAH SOPHIA/SOFIA 1. EMIL NOAH
EMMA EMMA 2. KARL/CARL LEON
MIA HANNA/HANNAH 3. OSKAR/OSCAR BEN
In 2019, c erta in f irs t n am es w ere East and Wes t agre e on s ome b oys names a s FRIEDA / FRIDA EMILIA BEN PAUL equally popu lar in Ea st an d W es t well: Ben and Paul are p opu lar choic es. Th e 4. Ger many. nam e Ben toppe d the ranki ng s in b oth pa r ts of Germ any in 20 18. PAUL Among the girls, Hanna/ Hannah, KLARA / CLARA MIA 5. FELIX
Emma and Mia wer e in the top five of
the most common first names give n to ch ildren. Source: Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache e. V.9 9 The first names refer to the assigned first names; 72 8 https://gfds.de/ausfuehrliche-auswertung-vornamen-2019/ Second giv en name s do not play a role in the ranking. 73 FUN FACTS - FACT CHECK NO. 30 10 PURCHASING BEHAVIOR PREFERRED SHOPPING DAYS
EAST GERMANY WEST GERMANY „ FR. 1. SA. PEOPLE IN EAST AND SA. FR. When planning for their sho pping, people in 2. East and West Germany WEST GERMANY pursue somewhat different strategies . PURSUE SLIGHTLY MO. 3. MO. While people in East Germany prefer to go DIFFERENT STRATEGIES TH. 4. WE. shopping on Fridays , people in West WHEN PLANNING THEIR Germany prefer to do their shopping on TU. 5. TH. Saturdays. PURCHASES. WE. 6. TU. Monday is the third most popular shopping day Only 1.3 percent of people in the E ast in East and West Germany . Not surprisingly , and 1.5 percent of people in the W est use SU. SU. Sunday comes in last place in both East and Sunday for their daily shopping . 7. West.
Source: Verbrauchs- u nd M edien analyse - VuMA 2020
74 10 Preferred shopping days for everyday goods (food, beverages, etc.) in 2019 75 Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Karl-Marx-Straße 2 14482 Potsdam www.freiheit.org