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Berlin Wall: "Let’s Commemorate, but Let’s Also Celebrate!"

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12/11/2019

Berlin Wall: "Let’s Commemorate, but Let’s Also Celebrate!"

Europe

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Elisabeth von Hammerstein

Programme Director of International Affairs

30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Germans celebrated last weekend the reunification of their country. Why are the implications of this historic moment particularly unique for Germany? Elisabeth von Hammerstein, Programme Director of International Affairs at the Körber Stiftung, sheds light on the remaining differences between the East and the West and the peculiar impact of German reunification on the country’s perspective of the EU – both guided by the need to hold together disparate areas.

The Berlin Wall, which was not only a physical barrier separating families for decades, but also a symbol of the past superpower standoff between the US and the Soviet Union, is still present in today’s Berlin. Some last segments colored with graffiti remain in place, but today tourists take pictures in front of what was once a more than 140-kilometer long concrete frontier, fortified with barbed wire and protected by heavily armed guards. Although the fall of the Berlin Wall constituted a unique and jubilant moment in German history, this year’s anniversary has a distinctly odd feel to it. While festivities are coming to an end, the debate about the historical experience of reunification and its lessons for present-day Germany is in full swing. The fact that this debate is happening 30 years after one of the most peaceful revolutions in European history may seem strange at first sight. But it is precisely as we celebrated the moment that rang in German reunification, that both the foundation of 1989 – the idea of the "West" – and its legacy – Germany and Europe being united – are feeling less and less certain.

Domestically, many Germans were shocked that a quarter of Thuringia’s population voted for far-right populist Alternative für Deutschland in October’s state election. On the other hand, many of those who grew up and lived in the GDR still feel that they are being treated as "second-class" citizens. Interestingly, this is a perception that is also widespread among the Central and Eastern European member states, which joined the European Union 15 years after the fall of the Iron Curtain and which many "old" member states still refer to as "new", even though they have been part of the exclusive European club for 1,5 decades.

Although the majority (68%) of Germans agree that their country has benefited from the fall of the Berlin Wall, 70% of Germans still see big differences between the people in the East and the West according to the latest polls conducted by Körber-Stiftung.

70% of Germans still see big differences between the people in the East and the West.

Chancellor Angela Merkel – probably the best-known East German today – acknowledged the ongoing divide in her speech on the occasion of the 29th anniversary of the reunification on October 3rd 2019, when she said: "We have to learn to understand that, and why, reunification was not an unequivocally positive experience for many people in the eastern German states."

As it is difficult to fully understand German thinking on domestic issues, this is similarly true when it comes to foreign and European policy. Asked about whether they feel closer to West or East Europe, 77% of respondents answered in favor of West Europe. Here the percentage is even higher in West Germany, where 85% feel closer to West Europe, whereas 47% East Germans agree. Germany calls France its closest partner, yet has virtually ignored President Macron’s proposals for European reform. Looking further West, regardless of the vital role that Washington has played in guaranteeing Germany’s security and present-day prosperity, many Germans remain deeply sceptical of the United States – much more than of Russia, in parts of the country.

While Germany’s complex relationship with its post-war past and identity may seem as a weakness to some, it could be viewed as a unique strength: no other country in Europe can claim a history rooted in both camps, East and West. Despite remaining differences between the East and the West of the country, Germany was able to forge a single country out of two such different entities, the Western-oriented German Federal Republic and the communist-ruled and Soviet-occupied German Democratic Republic.

Post-reunification Germany should utilize its history and serve as a bridge between European member states, old and new.

Post-reunification Germany should utilize its history and serve as a bridge between European member states, old and new. This is especially important given the current fears of a growing divide and estrangement between Western European states on the one side and Central and Eastern European states on the other side.

To be sure, this is easier said than done. The way Chancellor Merkel handled the 2015 refugee crisis and the stubborn insistence that the EU’s southern member states should consolidate their national budgets rather than run excessive deficits certainly affected member states’ willingness to listen to Berlin. Furthermore, as the country is looking at the sunset of Chancellor Merkel’s career, domestic politics is likely to prevail in 2020. But there are positive signs as well: last Wednesday, Germany’s Finance Minister Olaf Scholz’ signalled that Berlin may be willing to compromise on a European banking union, a key demand by President Emmanuel Macron. And in September next year, in a departure from tradition, Berlin will assemble leaders from all member states for the 2020 EU-China Summit, which policy-makers hope will form the highlight of Germany’s presidency of the European Council. The challenge for Berlin will be to unite all European member states to truly speak with one voice vis-à-vis Beijing, which has attractive investments to offer to smaller member states like Hungary and Greece in return for their acquiescence when it comes to EU votes pertinent to Chinese interests.

The Berlin Wall has now been down longer than it was up. But the differences within the country are still visible. However long the road ahead may be, we must not forget that both Germany and Europe have come a long way. Here’s to falling walls and the next 30 years – let’s commemorate, but let’s also celebrate!

Copyright : Jörg Carstensen - DPA / AFP

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