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Uncompleted Republic: The German Nation and Democracy after the Fall of the Berlin Wall

Instructor: Dr. Martin Jander
Live Session: Mondays, 9 - 11 a.m. CET (Berlin time)
Duration: Feb. 14 - May 9, 2022
Language of Instruction: English
Contact Hours: 30
ECTS Credits: 6

The end of the Cold War marked the beginning of a new era in world politics. For all societies, many changes have occurred since that time. In Germany they are radical: two German societies, a democracy (Federal Republic of Germany) and a dictatorship (German Democratic Republic), united into one nation and one state on October 3, 1990.

In this seminar we will deal, step by step, with the most important changes in German society and in its international environment. We want to answer the following questions: (1) What is the state of democracy in the unified country? (2) Can all citizens of the country exercise their rights guaranteed by the Constitution? (3) Does the Federal Republic consider its neighbors and other democracies in Europe and the rest of the world as equal partners? (4) Could the unification of the two German states become a model for other societies? (5) What challenges do German democrats face in the united Federal Republic, in Europe and in the world?

With the unification occurred, according to the philosopher Jürgen Habermas, a "catching-up revolution" (“Nachholende Revolution”). The GDR, which united with the Federal Republic, experienced a democratic modernization that had already taken place in the western part of Germany after 1945, instigated by the Allies, especially the United States of America.

Unification also brought about further reforms: The newly unified Federal Republic began to recognize itself as a country of immigration, and it began to compensate victims of National Socialism who had not yet been compensated, such as forced laborers.

In addition, the unification process pluralized society's party system as a whole. In all parts of society, five political parties – conservatives, liberals, social democrats, greens and leftists – play a stable role in the formation of the political will and politics.

However, the modernization and democratization of the unified Federal Republic also provoked protests from more than a few citizens. Such protests are often articulated in the election of right-wing extremist groups: Since about 2015, a sixth party has been added to the picture, the right-wing populist, in parts radical right-wing Alternative for Germany. Alarmingly, the number of right-wing terrorist attacks has also increased dramatically since unification. NGOs say that since October 3rd 1990, 213 people – Jews, immigrants, refugees and others – have been killed by right-wing terrorists.

The foreign policy orientation of the Federal Republic is also being critically questioned. Politicians from right-wing, left-wing and nationalist camps question the foreign policy orientation of the Federal Republic of Germany toward the United States and its membership in NATO.

Conditions in Germany itself, in Europe and in the international arena are constantly evolving. A final assessment of the consequences of the unification of the two societies after the end of the Cold War is not yet possible. However, this seminar will give students an insight into the various conflicts in German society. At the end of the seminar, they should themselves be able to answer the main question of the seminar: Can the unification of the two German states be seen as a model for other democracies in the world?