"Ost, West, und was kommt jetzt?" Rethinking (and shaping) German unity

Germany, 35 years after reunification: people in the east still earn less on average than their West German neighbours and are rarely represented in top positions in politics, media, business and science. After every federal election, the new federal states come into focus when it comes to the electoral successes of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. And in the media, eastern Germany is often portrayed as the home of those disillusioned with democracy and a ‘deviation’ from the (western German) norm.

Even though no one wants to return to the pre-reunification era, German unity remains a constant subject of controversial debate. The polarisation is not only noticeable between East and West. The AfD enjoys high approval ratings throughout the country, and the culture war in politics and the media is in full swing. Against this backdrop, what kind of unity do people want, and what specifically is needed to strengthen cohesion and democracy?

On 3 October, German Unity Day, we will discuss these questions with sociologist, filmmaker and author Katharina Warda and journalist Holger Kulick. Both are witnesses of reunification and actively involved in debates on the future of unity. They will present new social and artistic initiatives that focus on encounters and participation, from documentary films to theatre projects in prefabricated housing estates. We will also talk about the opportunities offered by the Future Centre for German Unity and European Transformation, which was founded in Halle in 2024.

What role do cultural initiatives play in the democratic shaping of civil society and in the fight against polarisation? This is shown in the current documentary film BLICKWECHSEL – Publika und Politiken der Darstellenden Künste (Change of Perspective – Audiences and Politics of the Performing Arts) by Janina Möbius, commissioned by the German Performing Arts Fund, which we will watch together with the speakers. Culture is one of the most important targets of right-wing extremist forces. The ideological campaign against the arts has recently become increasingly overt. BLICKWECHSEL examines this development in dialogue with Rimini Protokoll, CHICKS*, Katharina Warda, Sibylle Peters, Julia Wissert and many other personalities.

A hopeful theme night with film, discussions and music, where we will take an open look at what was, what is – and above all, what could be. Because unity is not a state, but a process.

Host or Publisher Goethe-Institut Niederlande