East German Perspectives on Transformation after 1989: Experiencing, Remembering, and Responding to Unification

Examines eastern Germans' diversity of experiences of 1989/90 and its continuing effects as reflected in biographical, creative, and collective representations, demonstrating the ongoing impact of die Wende in contemporary Germany. As the fall of the Berlin Wall and the official unification of Germany recede into the past, their impact on questions of identity and belonging in Germany endures. For many eastern Germans, the process of change and adaptation that began in 1989/90-in German die Wende, the turning point or transition-is not yet over; indeed, recent public discourse and events in Germany have caused controversy by questioning established narratives of unification. Rather than viewing the Wende as a phenomenon of 1989/90 and its immediate aftermath, this volume presents it as a complex and ongoing process. By examining eastern German representations of, and responses to, the Wende from varying perspectives-including life stories, fictional representations, and collective visions-the contributions in this volume present above all a narrative of diversity: just as "the East" cannot be understood as a homogenous space, neither can the Wende be seen as a unified-or unifying-experience. From an eastern German perspective, the period since 1989 has been marked by continuity as much as rupture, with the promised freedom and democracy often being overshadowed by violence and alienation. By focusing on the longer-term sociocultural implications of transition, this volume provides insights into past and present experiences of the Wende, as well as multiple imaginations of Germany's future.