Unequally united: Why East Germany remains different?

Thirty-six years after German reunification, social, economic, and political differences between East and West continue to shape the reality of contemporary Germany. On the occasion of the Greek edition of the book Unequally United: Why East Germany Remains Different (translated by Theo Votsos, Topos Publications), the Goethe-Institut Athen hosted a public discussion with the distinguished sociologist Steffen Mau, one of the foremost contemporary scholars of German society.

Moderated by journalist Xenia Kounalaki, the discussion explored the inequalities that continue to persist in Eastern Germany after 1990, the differing social and demographic developments on the two sides of the country, as well as the sense of underrepresentation and marginalisation still experienced by part of the East German population. Particular emphasis was placed on the relationship between social inequalities, the crisis of political representation, and the rise of the far right, as well as on how the case of Eastern Germany can serve as a lens through which broader European and global developments may be understood.

The event was part of a series of four book presentations and discussions with Steffen Mau in Greece and was co-organised by the Heinrich Böll Foundation Thessaloniki Office, the Goethe-Institut Athens, and Topos Publications.

Read a report on the events here (in English)