Wessis vs Ossis, the German divide continues

During the Cold War there was an informal comparison between West & East Germany where the people living in the West was called “Wessis” and citizens of the Eastern part nicknamed as “Ossis”. More than 3.5 decades later the divide continues.

As the Berlin Wall fell on 9 November 1989 after protests by the East German citizens the geographical divide between the eastern and western parts got obliterated. Aftermath, both Russia and the then West Germany agreed upon the terms of unification. Yet it was limited to a political union only. The cultural and economic woes of the East Germany remained till now.

Look at the Poverty Rate as announced by the German Federal Government which signified an amount less than 60% of the Federal Mean Income. All five former states of East Germany are above the threshold figure of 15.5% fixed as the poverty rate for the year 2025. Saxony –Anhalt tops the list at 19.5 % closely followed by Mecklenburg-Vorpommern at 19.4%. Only Brandenburg has less than poverty rate marginally at 15.2%. It was rumoured that most of these scores have to be re-worked as the recent poverty rate of Mecklenburg is deemed at 24% much higher than the Federal Median.

The entire Eastern part of Germany absorbed into Federal state suffers from economic and geoeconomics issues. Some of these are listed below:

1. The Soviet Era heavy industries still remain without any rejuvenation

2. The economic shock of re-unification has not softened yet

3. There is no industrial competitiveness in the eastern states that were absorbed into Federal Germany

4. Privatization of the Soviet Era enterprises only led to major brain drain of skilled workers across the divide towards the western sphere

5. Doing away with Soviet style subsidization of public sector housing affected the average wage earners drastically

6. Migration of youth wholesale to places like Hamburg and Stuttgart resulted in larger aged population left in the East fending for themselves

7. There is a sense of loss of dignity amongst the easterners who see the Wessis simply as British type colonisers.

The Wessis vs Ossis divide might morph into either of the two scenarios:

a)  The Ossis rebel against the Federal Government and ask for freedom from the yolk of Wessis

b)  Pass a resolution in their respective State Assemblies to re-join with Russia

"Strategy amid geoeconomics” dictate the following manoeuvres:

a) On the part of Federal Government to hasten economic and cultural progress in East to alleviate the trauma arising out of poverty

b) Stop all those anti-Russian propaganda and engage with the Eastern population fostering their unique cultural and political values.

Both compel the German Federal government’s habit of burying its head in the sand be removed and to begin a new era of all-inclusive re-unification.

In order to that Germany needs a leader like the Fuhrer!

 

Cheers!

 

Muthu Ashraff Rajulu

Strategy Adviser

Mobile: + 94 777 265677

E-mail: cosmicgems@gmail.com

Blog:   Strategy Adviser