Annual Report of the Federal Annual Report of the Federal Government on the Status of Government on the Status of German Unity in 2015 German Unity in 2015 Imprint Publisher The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Federal Ministry for Economic Energy was awarded the audit berufundfamilie® Affairs and Energy (BMWi) for its family-friendly staff policy. The certificate Public Relations is granted by berufundfamilie gGmbH, an initia- D-11019 Berlin, Germany tive of the Hertie Foundation. www.bmwi.de Text and editing Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) Task Force on the New Federal States Design and production PRpetuum GmbH, Munich Status September 2015 Print BMWi This publication as well as further publications Illustrations can be obtained from: picture alliance/dpa (Titel) Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) This brochure is published as part of the public relations work Public Relations of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. It is E-mail: [email protected] distributed free of charge and is not intended for sale. The www.bmwi.de distribution of this brochure at campaign events or at informa- tion stands run by political parties is prohibited, and political Central procurement service: party-related information or advertising shall not be inserted Tel.: +49 30 182722721 in, printed on, or affixed to this publication. Fax: +49 30 18102722721 1 Annual Report of the Federal Government on the Status of German Unity in 2015 2 Contents Part A ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................6 1. Historical overview: from the fall of the Berlin Wall to reunification ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................7 Liberated – divided – united ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................7 The Peaceful Revolution and the issue of reunification ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................7 The Round Tables as precursor of democratic structures .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................8 The “Government of national responsibility” ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................9 The People’s Chamber elections of 18 March 1990 .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................9 The first freely elected People’s Chamber ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................9 International embedding of reunification ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 The Unification Treaty ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 11 2. Selected decisions during the reunification and transformation process from a current perspective ....................................................................... 12 Monetary, economic and social union ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12 The disbandment of the State Security Service (Stasi) and the securing of its documents ........................................................................................................................................... 15 Reunification by accession or by a constitutive national assembly? .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 16 3. An attempt at an evaluation ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 18 Part B Report .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................20 The huge task of rebuilding the East after reunification .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Legal differences ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 21 Population takes a clearly positive view of German unity today ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 21 25 years of the German armed forces as an “army of unity” – a successful example ......................................................................................................................................................................... 22 1. Economic development and labour market in eastern Germany ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23 25 years of economic development ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23 Regional