East Vs. West Germany

After 1950 there were two states in the German territory, the communist German Democratic Republic (GDR) and the Western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). The conditions of life could not have been more different between these two states, although both shared a common cultural heritage and the historical experience of the Nazi. Comparing East and West Germany enables one to study the effects of a socialist authoritarian political system with a planned economy and of a pluralist democratic system with a market economy on family life and family development.

The communist leaders of East Germany sought to build on the traditional German values of discipline, hard work, respect for authority and efficiency, and to connect these with the desirable qualities of a model socialist citizen. The educational, media, and political systems were all geared for the creation of the new socialist East German identity. A desirable socialist personality was meant to blend creativity and intelligence with a sense of responsibility and obligation to the collective society. At the same time, the development of West Germany was closely supervised by the capitalist countries of Western Europe and the United States. However, as the development of a national identity was not stressed in West Germany, things took a somewhat different turn. In the early days of the Federal Republic of Germany's existence, many people did not take an active part in political affairs, preferring to withdraw into their personal and family lives. The public interest and support for the political system came after the economic situation improved in the late 1960's and early 1970's, yet there was no united desire for participation in the democratic process. While the traditional German values were still relevant in the national identity of the West Germany, the people were much less politically active than their Eastern neighbors. They grew to appreciate the democratic structure of the new society, yet politics played less of a role in their lives than it did in the lives of the people of East Germany.

One of the major differences between the GDR and the FRG economies was the standard of living they provided for their citizens. While both countries enjoyed a relatively strong economic situation, a noticeable difference existed in the lifestyles of the people. The differences in the standards of living and the goods and services available to the general population were been attributed to the difference in the structure of the society's employment. In 1978 about 48% of the West German population was employed in the service sector of the economy, compared with only 24% in East Germany. The lack of employment caused a lack of income, which constrained the economy and brought down the general standard of living.

Life in East and West Germany was drastically different in most ways, but there are some similarities. Such as both of the societies preferred

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