The Long Shadow of the GDR

Description

Many East Germans are said to have not yet fully embraced democracy even decades after the end of the GDR: This was stated some time ago by the German government's Commissioner for the East. The fact is that the AfD receives twice as many votes in the East as in the West, nationalist and xenophobic attitudes are more widespread, and economic performance is lower. But what exactly does this have to do with the GDR and its legacy? Has the former East become a neglected region after reunification, where resentments and dictatorship nostalgia flourish - or is this a distorted image circulated primarily in the West? Gisela Hürlimann, Professor of Technology and Economic History in Dresden, and economic and social historian Hartmut Berghoff from the University of Göttingen discuss how the GDR was dismantled, which influences from the dictatorship period still affect today's Germany, and what the younger generation in East Germany associates with the GDR. Moderation: Claudia Mäder, Head of "NZZ Geschichte".
The event is held in cooperation with the magazine «NZZ Geschichte».

Highlights

• Discussion with Gisela Hürlimann and Hartmut Berghoff
• Moderation by Claudia Mäder, Head of "NZZ Geschichte"
• Addressing the legacy of the GDR and its influence on today's society

General Information

The event highlights the impact of the GDR on contemporary society in East Germany. Experts discuss how the past shapes the political and economic situation in eastern Germany and what connections the younger generation has to the GDR.

Location

Museumstrasse 2, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland

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