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14 Years of German Unification

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Germany has officially been a united country for 14 years. The joyous scenes of reunification which inspired the world when the Berlin Wall fell on Nov. 9, 1989, have remained images of hope, beacons of reconcilliation and the evidence that incredible social change could be achieved against amazing odds.

But the pictures of fireworks over Berlin and the streets filled with embracing Germans are in danger of seeping into a rose tint in the face of the increasingly harsh reality of a united Germany.

Escalating costs, shaky economic side-effects, discrepencies in living standards and employment opportunities have been the flip side of the euphoria created by the healing of a nation divided for 41 years. However, Germany continues to work at the problems arising from the recovery process.

Here, DW-WORLD presents a series of articles documenting the ups and downs experienced in the past 12 months since the last celebration.

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Reports & Analysis

Communism Sunk by the Hunk in Trunks?

Mikhail Gorbachev…Helmut Kohl…David Hasselhoff. No, do not adjust your screens. The list of those who contributed to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of communism has long been missing one name…until now.

Solbes Blames Reunification for German Economic Woes

Europe’s Commissioner for Monetary Affairs warns that Germany is in danger of breaking euro zone rules again in 2004 and 2005, but concedes that the problems have been fueled by the merging of East and West Germany.

A Land of Differences

While the core of German president Horst Köhler's remarks on differences in living and employment standards focused on eastern and western states, figures published on Tuesday show discrepencies across the whole country.

Berlin's Polar Bears: On the Way from East To Best

The Berlin Eisbären may have placed second in this year's German Hockey League championships, but it's still a big achievement for the former East German team that struggled to survive after the Berlin Wall fell.

Dispossession of Eastern German Land Illegal, Court Rules

The German government could face a flood of lawsuits and billions in reparation claims after the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the dispossession of land in eastern Germany after reunification was illegal.

Opinion: A Progress Report on German Unity

It's been over 13 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, but Germans still have a lot to learn about each other before the mental east-west border disappears.

Eastern Attitudes Toward the State

Recent protests against welfare reforms in Germany have been largest in the east. Some analysts say that due to eastern Germans' history under socialism, they tend to look to the state to solve their problems.

A New East-West Divide in Germany?

More marches against the Hartz IV welfare reforms took place on Monday. Again the focus was on the east of Germany where anger is growing and discontent over conditions in the former communist states is rife.

Report Highlights Eastern German Economic Successes

Though it has chronic unemployment and has struggled to gain a foothold in the post-reunification era, eastern Germany isn't as doom and gloom as it may seem. A new report says the East has enjoyed major economic growth.

Schröder Fears Protests Could Erode Unity

Chancellor Schröder said he feared growing opposition against his social reforms could damage unity between eastern and western Germany as protest organizers gear up for another round of weekly Monday demonstrations.

Has Rebuilding East Germany Failed?

Germany's attempt to rebuild its once communist East has been an unmitigated disaster and the massive financial transfers from the West endanger the entire nation's economy, according to a government-commissioned report.