The first years were great for Ossies’ travel possibilities and lovely commodity assortment, but otherwise-for millions-pretty ghastly! The over-hasty introduction of the “West-mark” into East Germany and the seizure, shuttering or penny-ante sellout of its entire, substantial industrial base caused havoc, misery and bitterness. Was it a gold ring or more of a nose-ring?

They had won at last, the wedding ring was squeezed onto the Eastern finger. In October came the official German “I do”-just what those giant corporations, expelled from East Germany after the war, had never ceased conniving and pressuring for. The decisive German vote was on March 18th. In February 1990 the Communist Party gave up its claim to power in Bulgaria. On Christmas Day, in the bloodiest take-over, Ceaușescu and his wife were killed by a Romanian firing squad. And that is just what so many East German “Ossies” expected, demonstrated and voted for in the polling booths.Īre they still rejoicing thirty-two years later? A question also valid for the so-called sister countries, who also metamorphosed in almost amazing marching order: in September 1989 a non-communist government was elected in Poland, in October the Communist regime in Hungary was shut down, in November (when the Berlin Wall was opened) Václav Havel took over in Prague. In 1990, on October 3rd, Germany could rejoice unity at last, a single flag, a single anthem (“Deutschland über alles”), a single currency, a single foreign policy in other words, freedom and democracy triumphant! And with it what Chancellor Ludwig Erhard had called a “social market economy, the foundation of our liberal, open and democratic society, with functioning competition, pricing freedom and a wide range of affordable goods, while absorbing its disadvantages, such as monopolization, price fixing, and protecting citizens against illness and unemployment … while at the same time fostering prosperity”. Otherwise I recommend my book “ A Socialist Defector: From Harvard to Karl-Marx-Allee” or my autobiography, “ Crossing the River”, or the English translation of “ Radek” by Stefan Heym, with a long introduction by me. To the many new readers: welcome, glad to have you (but if by mistake you’re not a new reader but a doctor’s office or a craftsman or something, let me know and I’ll drop your name). Once again far, far too long-and too complicated-reflecting the complications in today’s worrisome world.

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