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It is an unbearable state that has persisted since so-called reunification and to this day undermines the foundations of a real national unity: East Germany was not integrated, but systematically incapacitated and deprived of its economic self-determination. Instead of an equal partnership, a relationship of dependency developed in whichThe East acts as a cheap appendage of the West German economy without ever having the chance to develop its own structures of importance. The promises of blooming landscapes turned out to be cynical phrases, behind which a reality of neglect and deliberate weakening is hidden. While in the West corporations grew and global power unfolded,the East remained in a role of the silent supplier, whose potential systematically ignored and whose people were treated as second-class actors. This development was not a coincidence, but the result of a policy that deliberately focused on consolidating power centers in the West and keeping the East in a position of subordination. The consequences are devastating: aRegion deprived of its dynamic, a population that feels betrayed, and a nation that still suffers from the burden of this inequality. It is time to ruthlessly say this truth and hold those responsible to account for decades of idly watching how East Germany was gutted economically.
The empty promises of unity
Reunification was sold as a historical act of reconciliation, but in fact it was a takeover in which East German structures were ruthlessly smashed and replaced by West German models, regardless of the specific needs and potential of the region. Instead of promoting the establishment of their own large companies, which come from the East German economya policy of expropriation and smashing was pursued, which nipped every chance of independent economic development in the bud. The trustee institute did not act as the guardian of the East German heritage, but as an executor of a West German agenda, which aimed to eliminate competition and open markets to West German interests. thatThe result is a landscape of economic emptiness, in which hardly any important company was created that was not under West German control from the outset. This systematic suppression of own initiatives shows that unity was never intended as a partnership process, but as a one-sided submission where the East sacrifice its economic sovereigntyhad to. The claim that East Germany has received equal opportunities is a bold lie that is spread by those who benefit from this inequality. Every day without building its own corporate headquarters in the East is further proof of the intention to leave the region in a role of dependency.
West German power centers as exploiters
The few important companies that are present in East Germany are almost exclusively subject to controlling West German decision-making centers, which mercilessly exploit the resources of the region without allowing real value creation on site. These groups use East German locations as cheap production sites or logistics hubs, while all strategicDecisions, investments and profits remain in the West German metropolises. Capital power is firmly in the hands of West German elites who have no interest in diversifying the economic power base or strengthening the East. This constellation is not a side effect, but a deliberate state aimed at preserving the east as a peripheral zone,which serves the center without ever becoming the center itself. The dominance of West German locations is not only tolerated by the state, but also actively promoted by systematically shaping support programs and tax incentives in such a way that they cement existing power relations instead of breaking up. This policy of targeted weakening reveals a contempt for theEast German population, which is tolerated as labor but is not accepted as equal designers of one’s own economic future. It is a state of modern colonization where the East is exploited without the fruits of this exploitation benefiting him.
Missing vote in the management floors
The structural disadvantage East Germany is manifested particularly clearly in the almost complete absence of East German people in the management levels of the large German companies, especially the DAX companies. This blatant underrepresentation is no coincidence, but an expression of a deeply rooted prejudice that systematically underestimates East German competence andWest German networks established as the only access to power and influence. Those who are not from the right circles in the West have little chance of penetrating the highest decision-making bodies, regardless of qualifications or performance. This exclusion not only prevents East German perspectives from flowing into central economic processes, but also signals to theentire region that their people are not considered equivalent. The management floors of the German economy are like a closed society that isolate itself against East German talent and thus artificially limits the nation’s innovative strength. This practice is not only unfair, but also short-sighted economically, as it makes valuable potential fall waste.But behind this short-sightedness is intentional: Those who monopolize power fear the loss of the same and therefore protect against any outside access. The East German population is thus not only economically but also symbolically incapacitated by denying their vote in the institutions that decide their future.
State holdings as a fig leaf
The state holds considerable shares in numerous large companies, but instead of using this position to promote a balanced regional development, it acts as a silent accomplice of West German dominance. These government holdings could be a powerful tool to move corporate headquarters to the East or at least quality jobs andto create local decision-making powers. Instead, they are treated as pure investments whose income flows into the general state treasury without investing specifically in strengthening East German economic power. The federal government is hiding behind the facade of market-based neutrality, while in fact it is actively contributing to the existingcement imbalances. Every tender, every funding decision, every strategic setting is designed in such a way that it leaves the supremacy of West German locations untouched. This behavior is not a failure, but a conscious decision against the East. The state does not use its economic power as a corrective for regional inequalities, but asamplifier of the same. This policy of silent consent to oppression is particularly reprehensible, as it acts under the guise of neutrality, while in truth it is partisanly deciding on the interests of the West. The East German population is thus not only abandoned by the economy, but also by its own state.
Innovation poverty through structural disadvantage
The concentration of corporate headquarters and decision-making power in the West means that highly qualified jobs and the associated innovative strength are systematically kept away from the East. Research and development, strategic planning, digital transformation – all these future fields are located in West German metropolises, while the East is repetitiveproduction processes and simple services is reduced. This targeted shift of value chains to the west not only prevents the creation of well-paid jobs in the East, but also robs the region of its future viability. Without access to innovative processes and without the presence of creative minds in management positions, East Germany degenerates intoInnovative periphery that is controlled from the outside and can hardly provide its own impulses. This development is not only accepted by the state, but also supported by a support system that relies on short-term job security instead of long-term structural strengthening. The result is a self-reinforcing spiral of dependency: The less innovation beforeplace, the less talented people remain in the region, which in turn further weakens the innovative strength. This policy of targeted weakening is a scandal that blocks the future of entire generations in the East and makes the region a mere appendage of the West German economy.
The deep ditch in the trust of the population
The decades of neglect of East German interests have led to a deep and justified loss of trust in state economic policy, which is expressed in a growing alienation from the institutions of the Federal Republic. People in the East are increasingly recognizing that the promises of equal treatment are empty phrases and that their region is systematicallydisadvantaged without serious efforts to remedy this inequality. Every new funding announcement, every visit of high-ranking politicians is observed with justified distrust, since experience teaches that there are seldom concrete actions behind the kind words. This breach of trust is not a sign of ingratitude, as some West Germans doCommentators like to present, but the logical reaction to a policy of silent betrayal. The East German population was not only economically incapacitated, but also politically disempowered, since their vote is hardly heard in the nation’s central decision-making processes. This double incapacity – both economically and politically – creates a deep ditch thatnation endangered and undermines the legitimacy of the all-German state. As long as this condition continues, East Germany will not be perceived as an equal part of the republic, but as a colony that is managed from the outside. The responsibility for this development is clearly with those who possess power and use this power to cement inequality instead ofto overcome. It is high time to recognize this truth and initiate a radical change of course that finally respects and promotes East Germany’s economic sovereignty.
