Stefan Mau first describes how East Germany, and its people were.  He starts with Lütten Klein, the Rostock suburb where he grew up.  It is one of those satellite towns with monotonous multi-story prefab apartments that were built all over East Germany in late 1960’s and early 1970’s.  Unsightly, but functional, they had most amenities for daily and social life integrated in them.  And unlike in the west, such residential areas did not have any social stigma attached to them.  That’s because East German society was relatively homogeneous – a society shaped by the working class.  It had little difference vertically, or diversity horizontally.  The homogeneity applied broadly to ethnicity, income, wealth, opportunities, cultural norms, social status, etc. People did not have to worry about basic needs of life – they were available and affordable. Everyone had a job.  Education, medical care, childcare, etc. were free.  Housing was subsidized and allocated - usually not at the desired level and quality.  
 
Life under the Marxist-Leninist party (SED) was not free, but neither was it like under a dictatorship.  30 years after reunification, East Germans still think that way.  People found breathing space in the family and in an extended circle of friends.  Workplace played a central role in daily life.  If one did not cross some redlines (that were well known) and did not challenge the system openly, a discrepancy between what one said and did publicly vs. privately was tolerated. 
 
East Germans had limited contact with the outside world.  Travel, even to East European countries, was restricted.  Very few foreigners lived in East Germany.  For example, the number of foreigners in East Germany, mostly unskilled workers from Vietnam, Cuba, and Mozambique, amounted to less than 1% of the population.  They spoke little German and lived segregated from the society.  And the number of foreign students, like me, didn’t even make a blip on the statistics.  As a result, while international solidarity played a prominent role in state ideology, East Germans had little real-life connection with the people they were supposed to be standing with.

The society’s flat economic and societal profile had a dual impact.  On the one hand, it was a matter of pride.  Former East Germans still think that way.  On the other hand, their resourcefulness and ingenuity were spent in making private life more comfortable (think lack of amenities that go beyond the ordinary) rather than towards economic and professional entrepreneurial activities.  
 
Woman participation in all aspects of life was high.  For example, at the time of the fall of the Berlin wall, women represented 30%, 50%, and 38%, respectively, of elected representatives, judges, and Ph.D. candidates in East Germany vs. 15%, 18%, and 26% in West Germany.
 
In the second part of the book, Stefan Mau addresses reunification, especially East Germans’ response to it.  Their reaction was shaped both by the nature of the society they grew up in, and by the process of reunification.  I’ll skip the details and statistics that Mau cites.  Instead, I'll jump right to some of the conclusions.  East Germans widely believe that they were colonized by West Germany!  This is of course factually incorrect.  Both reunification itself, and politicians who had led the process, had electoral support in both parts of Germany.  So why this sentiment?  Mau points out four reasons. 
 
First, when changes rolled over their country, disrupting every aspect of their life, East Germans were given no other choice but to fit in a tight western straitjacket.
 
Second, and as a result, they were forced to abandon their entire sociocultural traditions and institutions - even those that they were proud of.  Objectively, some of them would have made unified Germany a better place.  Examples include childcare, integrated healthcare (so called Polyklinik), policies that promote participation of women in the workforce, etc.  
 
Third, a rapid privatization of all East German public assets was carried out (by Treuhandgesellschaft) that exclusively benefitted economically dominant western entities.  This led to a sense of exploitation by East Germans.  It did not help that many accusations of corruption have never been investigated, let alone brought to justice.  
 
Fourth and last, during the entire process of transformation, East Germans, lacking the needed organizations, structures, and resources to represent their views and interests, were relegated to passive spectators.
 
Just one example of their many grievances was the rapid replacement of leadership in all sectors and institutions with West German expatriates.  These expatriates were often perceived to be of second tier talent.  They almost always had little understanding of East German culture, including their grievances, fears, and prides.  No other eastern European country, that went through a similar transformation, had such a purge.  East Germans felt like being treated like conquered people.  It is no wonder that many former East Germans feel like having become refugees even without having left their country.  The effect of leadership purge is still visible 30 years after reunification.  Today, only 23% of top leadership positions in politics, media, economy, science, and technology in the former East German regions are represented by former East Germans! Until recently, three federal states (out of five that make up the former East Germany territory) had prime ministers transplanted from West Germany (Kurt Biedenkopf, Werner Münch, Bernhard Vogel).
 
An assessment of East Germans’ response to reunification cannot be complete without addressing xenophobic flare-ups immediately after the reunification (in Hoyerswerda, Lichtenhagen, etc.), and subsequent growth of right leaning political ideologies.  The first was a reaction of fear and uncertainty.  One also has to question the wisdom of authorities to set up refugee camps in those regions under the given circumstances.  But there is more to it.  By having lived in a “bubble”, East Germans were not prepared for globalization and cultural diversity.  To make matters worse, the reunification process was driven primarily by a dynamic of East Germans becoming part of a “German Nation”, rather than part of an open, western society.  Today, thirty years after the reunification, former East German regions remain a fertile ground for nationalistic ideology.  To be fair, nationalism is not solely a former East German phenomenon.  And unlike Italians and Austrians, East Germans haven’t yet elected a right-wing nationalistic party to power.
 
The bombshell in the book is the revelation that a conscious decision was taken by politicians to conduct reunification under article 23 of Grundgesetz, rather than the more appropriate article 146.  This was new to me, and I wonder even how many Germans are aware of this.  Grundgesetz  (Basic Law) is the temporary constitution of Germany adopted after World War 2.  What is the difference between the two articles?  Article 23 is meant for accession, whereas article 146 for reunification.  In the first case, the acceding party wholly accepts the system of the party it is acceding to, as Saarland (one of Germany’s 16 federal states) did in 1957.  In the second case (article 146), Germans of unified Germany would decide the fundamental parameters of the country in which they would live together.  The most important part of that would be the replacement of the temporary constitution (Grundgesetz), with a permanent one (Verfassung).  Article 146 states: “... after the achievement of unity and freedom of Germany for the entire German people, this Basic Law shall lose its validity on the day on which a constitution will have been freely adopted by the German people.”  This never happened.  Is it any wonder that by acceding, East Germany had to accept the West German system wholly?  

PS:  My German experience began in 1975 when I went to East Germany on a scholarship for higher studies.  That’s where I first learned German language in Leipzig, followed by studying chemistry and polymer science in Merseburg.  Merseburg is located between Leipzig and Halle.  I could occasionally visit my cousin and her family in West Germany, or friends in West Berlin. As a result, I had a somewhat unconstrained view of both sides, something that most Germans from either side did not have. 
 
Then in 1981, I moved to the former West Germany to do my Ph.D. in Kaiserslautern.  Kaiserslautern borders on France and is close to US airbase Ramstein.  After finishing my Ph.D., I moved to Neuss to work for a multinational corporation.  Neuss is just north of Cologne.  During this period, I could not visit East Germany.
 
That changed in 1989, after Germany was unified, and I visited different parts of former East Germany, both for personal and business reasons.  My 17 years stay in Germany ended in 1992 when my employer relocated me to the USA.  It was a unique experience for me to have lived in both parts of Germany – both before and after reunification.  
 
My move to the United States did not sever my connection with Germany altogether.  That’s because my wife is from former East Germany, and we have friends and family in both parts of the country.  In addition to family visits, I also had to occasionally travel to Germany on business.
 
Reading Stefan Mau’s narrative of former East Germany felt like reliving the past.  The only exception was his reference to the rebellious younger generation.  That’s because I had lived there from 1975-1981, arguably during East Germany’s “golden years”.  People were relatively content, notwithstanding the many limitations, including scarcity of imported goods.  I remember oranges and bananas being rarities, among many other things.  But more frustrating was the seasonal shortage of (locally grown) onions.  That’s because the lack of foreign influence also meant that East German kitchen remained faithful to traditional, mostly bland, German fare.  Therefore, in spite of my total lack of cooking skills, I was compelled to try making Bangladeshi food occasionally.  But cooking any Bangladeshi dish without onion is like making popcorn without butter. 
 
Apropos traditional German dish, there are many delicious ones.  I savored the occasional Königsbergerklops, Rouladen, Hühnerfrikasse, Bratwurst with potato salad, etc.  But my memory is also laden with many lunches at the university cafeteria, where the standard fare was boiled potatoes - overcooked and mealy - served with Mischgemüse (mixed vegetable) and sparsely spiced meat or Wurst.  I preferred infrequent treats like hard-boiled egg in mustard sauce, or poached egg on spinach puree.  Sadly, they too, were served with the indispensable boiled potatoes – overcooked and mealy.  By that time, pizza, hamburger, french-fries, doner kebab, etc. had long conquered West German cafeteria.
 
Food may have been bland, but life was not.  I found life rather carefree, especially when I compare with some classmates who had emigrated to western countries as students.  I was, of course, not planning my future in East Germany.
 
There are many misconceptions in the west about life in the former East Germany.  People assume that East Germans lived an unhappy life because of their modest income and material possession.  But happiness is more than just material things.  Besides, material things matter only relatively – meaning in comparison to what others have in the society.
 
Then there is the Stasi thing.  How oppressive it must have been to live under Stasi surveillance.  I am usually reluctant to point out that Stasi couldn’t have dreamed of the kind of surveillance NSA/CIA/FBI use on Americans today!  BTW, my wife recently obtained a copy of her Stasi file.  Considering that Stasi was not unaware of her potentially leaving the country at some point, her file was lean and boring.  But it did include an unspecific reference to my existence.  There must be a Stasi file on me as well, but I haven’t bothered to get a copy.   
 
Unsurprisingly, there was widespread propaganda in the media - all media being state owned.  But the propaganda had zero impact on people’s opinion and behavior because nobody trusted the media.  The situation in America is completely different, right?  All media are privately owned here.  I wish it was that simple.  Ever since I came to the States almost 30 years ago, the decline in public trust in the media has been remarkable.  Just this year, the United States ranked last in a Reuter survey in 46 countries!  Only 29% of Americans “trust most news most of the time”.  What conclusions one can draw from this is an interesting, but a whole different discussion.

Fast forward to reunification.  When the tsunami of changes came, people of my generation were hit the hardest.  I have seen this among people I knew, including my wife’s family and friends, and my classmates.  Many were in their early career but already too set, also in their personal life, to successfully reinvent themselves in a completely new world.  Women were especially hurt. 
 
The loss of employment is always much more than monetary loss.  In the former East Germany however, it was devastating. It wiped out a significant part of one’s social life.  That’s because it was at the workplace where many social contacts, even lifelong friendship and comradery were formed.  People also cherished the many employer-organized events (Betriebsfest) throughout the year.  One of my surprises in West Germany was the relative lack of enthusiasm and energy in such events there.  I also found it interesting to compare work life balance in the three countries.  In the former East Germany, private and work lives were intertwined in many ways.  In West Germany, a separation of the two is sacred.  And in the United States, they encroach on each other simply by an expectation of having to be available even in free time.
 
Referring back to the rapid replacement of leadership in East Germany, there was an event that touched me tangentially. When the wall came down, I was in Neuss (West Germany), working for a multinational corporation.  To help my alma mater in Merseburg (East Germany), I tried to establish a research collaboration with my former professor and M.S. advisor.  He was a highly reputable researcher in a field that was also of interest for my employer.  I traveled to Merseburg and met with the professor, who understandably was excited about the opportunity.  We prepared a research proposal, and I followed up with a second visit to discuss the specifics. But before we could formalize an agreement, he called to inform me that his position is being taken over by someone from West Germany.  It was so sad because besides his technical excellence, he was one of the nicest persons I have interacted with at my alma mater.  He was, of course, a member of the SED party – but who at his position wasn’t?  Unlike some other professors, I have never seen him act “political”.  
 
BTW, the expression East Germans use for the know-it-all western transplants is Besserwessie, translated “smart aleck from the west”.  It is a wordplay on Besserwisser (smart aleck).
 
Another misconception about East Germans is that they simply couldn’t wait to join West Germany.  In reality, most of them wanted to take advantage of Gorbachov’s perestroika and glasnost to create a better East Germany.  Unfortunately, along the way, the originators of the protest movement were outmaneuvered by other groups, and the public sentiment changed to reunification.  I still remember the protest chant of the initial movement as “Wir sind das Volk” (We are the People).  But by the time of reunification, it had morphed into "Wir sind ein Volk” (We are one People) – “one” meaning German.  I am not partial to the wisdom or practicability of having stuck with the original intent.  Rather I am pointing out something that many people may not be aware of, but something many former East Germans still have a mixed feeling about.
 
The most astonishing information for me in this book is the use of article 23 for reunification.  That means, strictly speaking, German reunification was not a reunification at all, but an accession.  It also means that eight decades after World War 2, Germany still operates under a temporary constitution (Grundgesetz) that was handed over to West German politicians by the three western victorious powers.  It was neither written nor ratified by Germans.  I am no constitutional expert, but I find this stunning.  When a new state is created after its defeat in a war, one of the most important steps is the adoption of a new constitution.  This is done by having a draft written by a team of legal experts and civil society leaders representing the population, followed by its ratification by its citizens in an open and public voting process.  You may remember this process for Iraq and Afghanistan. This never happened in Germany!
 
That immediately begs the question, is Germany a sovereign state, even on paper?  Former German chancellor Willey Brandt seems to have raised the question.  More recently, German historian Prof. Joseph Foschepoth has answered the question with a definitive no.  He supports his conclusion with historical documents he has unearthed from archives.
 
Today, former East German regions are transformed; their infrastructure and industry have been improved significantly.  People’s income and supply of goods are much better.  Many former East Germans, who at the time of the fall of the wall were young adults or even younger, like Stefan Mau, have and continue to take full advantage of new opportunities.  I have met several such success stories even in the United States.  
 
At the same time, a large segment of the population, especially those who were adults at the time of the transition, carry a deep sense of grievance.  In many cases, that has carried over to their children, even to those who were born after the fall of the wall.  It is my estimation that it will take three generations before the people of East Germany will have overcome their grievances and sense of injustice.  By that time, East Germany will have disappeared and become just a chapter in history – mostly forgotten, and nothing learned – as usual.
 
Here one must not forget that German reunification had to be pulled through in a very fragile global political environment and within an unknown and narrow window of opportunity.
 
Finally, if you are curious about how I had ended up in East Germany, and about my early travails in a country that I knew nothing about, then check out “Bad Water Along The Scenic Route” on this blog under the section Random Musing.