The Berlin Wall was a powerful symbol for the physical division of East and West Germany. After its fall in 1989, a new psychological wall, the “Wall in the Head” , formed, demonstrating the continued rift between the East and the West. The Wall’s fall led to reunification in 1990, which caused a huge social impact on East Germany as a result of the communist system that controlled the East. Thus, after reunification, the East Germans had to adjust to the completely new mentality of the West’s capitalist system. They were forced to assimilate to the vastly different ideals of the West and forget everything they were taught in the communist system in order to integrate suitably. Essentially, a second colonization occurred in East Germany, this time by West Germany, which vilified the East’s home …show more content…
Fundamentally, reunification occurred in name only because there was no social commitment from the West to unite the Germanys. The psychological divide between the East and the West palpably widened and an “us-them” mentality, Ossis versus Wessis, was established. The Eastern citizens were perceived as inferior and “second-class citizens” , which angered the East. The hardships of what was previously simple everyday life took a toll on the citizens of the East, who began to long for the past in the form of Ostalgie because of the security of the communist system; before the fall of the Wall, the Eastern state had handled everything from medical care and employment to housing and education. Then, Easterners knew what to expect and did not have to fear losing their jobs or not earning enough money to support their families. Principally, when West Germany stripped East Germany of its street names , and thus, its identity, the East’s view of the West as a “robber society” was confirmed;