History of Modern Germany

       

Key Terms:

GDR- German Democratic Republic, or Former East Germany

FRG- Former Republic of Germany, or Former West Germany

                       

The East-West Divide

      In the 1950s, the GDR (German Democratic Republic) was in a unique state both politically and economically.  About 160,000 refugees left the GDR in the first eight months of 1961.  The repressive, Socialist regime caused an increasing amount of discontent amongst the German population.

       On August 13, 1961, East Berlin was blocked off from West Berlins with tanks and barricades and construction of the Berlin Wall began. More than 100 people were killed at the Berlin Wall, including those who came too close to the Easter side of the wall.  Almost 30 years later, in 1989, discontent increased and there were public demonstrations regarding the wall. This discontent led to the Berlin Wall opening in November of 1989, and eventually it was torn down.

Unification

     In April of 1990, elections were held in Germany, and on September 20th the Unification Treaty was approved. At midnight on October 3rd, 1990 the FRG and GDR were officially joined. Nation-wide celebrations were held, and this date has become the Official German Unification Date.

Facts

• Germany is predominantly Protestant and Roman Catholic.
• Germany is 95% German, with the remaining 5% being mostly

          Turkish, Greek, and Italian.  

• There is a 99% literacy rate in people over the age of 15.
• 90% of the population is covered by a mandatory insurance program.
• Medical care in Germany is rated excellently against other Democratic countries.
• Life expectancy is 73.5 years for males, 79.9 years for females.
• Infant mortality rate is 6.3 per 1,000 live births.
• Fertility rate is 1.5 children per woman, one of the lowest in the world.
• Former Western Germany transitioned to a service economy in the 1970s, however Former Eastern Germany remains primarily an industrial and agricultural economy.
• Post World War II, East German women’s labor force participation remained high because:

                        -Abortion was legalized in the first trimester of pregnancy.

                        -Marriage and Family laws were re-written to allow mothers to

                         work.

                        -Federally funded day care centers were put in place.

References

The German Embassy, Washington D.C. The German Information Center http://www.germany.info/relaunch/info/missions/gic.html

Adler, Marina A. 2002. "German Unification as Turning Point in East German Women's Life Course: Bibliographical Changes in Work and Family Roles." Sex Roles 47(1/2):83-98.

Population Reference Bureau. 2005. “Germany Statistics.” Washington, DC. Retrieved 10/10/2006. (http://www.prb.org/TemplateTop.cfm?Section=PRB_Country_Profiles &template=/customsource/countryprofile/countryprofiledisplay.cfm&Country=491).