Germany During The Cold War - 1901 Words

Section A: Plan of Investigation This investigation will assess the extent to which the division of Germany during the cold war affected the social conditions of the citizens living in both sides. The two main sources used will be â€Å"Growing up in East Germany† written by Bruno van den Elshout and â€Å"Berlin After the Wall† by Cassie Leventhal. Investigations on the manner in which the social and economic differences on each side of the wall will be evaluated through examples of the citizen’s lives. Other supplementary sources are used such as charts and graphs relating to the social standards and behaviors that differentiate the citizens of the East and West. Section B: Summary of Evidence In 1990, as the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) was reunited under one government, many of the citizens saw each other as foreigners and claimed that the fall of the wall actually brought some negative impacts to the citizens living in East Germany. According to Leventhal, negative stereotypes developed about the East Germans and â€Å"Westerners resented the huge transfer of payments to the East, calling the recipients ‘dependent, shiftless, backwards and ungrateful. In contrast, East Berliners developed hostility towards those in the West, calling them Boastful, aggressive, and insensitive.† (Leventhal). Because many of the city services were united, East Berlin had to compete with the more industrially efficient West Berlin which causedShow MoreRelatedErika Riemann’s Oral Testimony on Life in East Germany During the Cold War1220 Words   |  5 PagesErika Riemann’s oral testimony on life in East Germany during the Cold War Erika Riemann was a teenager living in East Germany at the end of World War II. Her oral testimony describes her experiences as a political prisoner during the cold war. She was arrested in 1945 for drawing a bow on a portrait of Stalin that hung in her school classroom. 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