New states of Germany
The New Länder (German: Neue Bundesländer) are the five reestablished states (Länder) in the former German Democratic Republic (East Germany) that acceded to the Federal Republic of Germany upon German reunification on 3 October 1990.
New Länder
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At reunification West Germany consisted of eleven states (now referred to as the Old Länder, German: Alte Bundesländer) plus associated West-Berlin. The New Länder (which had been abolished by East Germany in 1952 and were re-established in 1990) consist of:
The Land Berlin is not considered one of the New Länder, being the result of a merger between East Berlin (the former capital of East Germany) and West Berlin. Berlin had in 1945 been divided into four sectors with a special status that did not allow the three sectors of West Berlin to be officially declared as a full (11th) member of the Federal Republic. Technically, the reunited Berlin is the result of the dissolution of East Berlin and the institutions of West Berlin expanding to the whole city. Due to this, the Land Berlin which also was established in 1990 is regarded as being "old", although many of its residents are former East Germans.
Approximate relation between the New Länder and the former East German Bezirke
- Former Berzike of Frankfurt (Oder) + Cottbus + Potsdam = Brandenburg
- Former Berzike of Neubrandenburg + Rostock + Schwerin = Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
- Former Berzike of Dresden + Karl-Marx-Stadt + Leipzig = Saxony
- Former Berzike of Halle + Magdeburg = Saxony-Anhalt
- Former Berzike of Erfurt + Gera + Suhl = Thuringia
Views
Twenty years after the fall of the wall, only 22% of former East Germans (40% of under-25s) consider themselves "real citizens of the Federal Republic". 62% feel in a kind of limbo, no longer citizens of East Germany but not fully integrated into the unified Germany. Around 11% would like to have East Germany back.[1]
See also
References
- ^ Berliner Zeitung, 21 January 2009, Template:De Noch nicht angekommen - Survey of 2900 adults in the New Länder in summer 2008.