Ethnic Intolerance, Extremism, and Democratic Attitudes in Germany since Unification

Type:

Book Chapter

Author:

Frederick D Weil

Published:

1997

Publisher:

Oxford University PressNew York, NY

Abstract As often happens, press and scholarly accounts diverge in describing developments in Germany since reunification. The press and media tend to focus on signs of popular discontent with democracy, political extremism, xenophobia, and antisemitism, especially in eastern Germany. Scholars present a more varied view. Although they find plenty of indications of discontent with the economic burdens of reunification, little evidence has emerged that Germans have veered sharply toward antidemocratic, extremist, or bigoted attitudes. On the contrary, West German attitudes on these fundamental issues have not deteriorated much since the Berlin Wall came down, and surprisingly, East Germans often express even more democratic or tolerant views. in this chapter, I shall examine trends in antisemitism and xenophobia since reunification against the backdrop of attitudes toward democracy and political extremism. The main outlines of the period arc well known. For the first two years after the Berlin Wall fell in the autumn of 1989, reunification seemed to progress with unexpected ease. In July 1990, East Germans were permitted to convert their currency to Western deutsche marks (DM) on generous terms. Legal reunification occurred in October I 990, much sooner than anyone had thought possible.

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