Transformation East: Research focus on societal change in East Germany

© Jörg Blobelt

The fall of the Berlin Wall and the unification of the old and new federal states are regarded as formative events for the Federal Republic of Germany. The post-socialist transformation in particular has created its own areas of tension. From civic engagement to hostility towards democracy, from the liquidation of East German companies to the current development of cutting-edge research, from the marginalization experiences of citizens to their designation as avant-garde - numerous narratives shape the specifics of these regions and are currently being reappraised by academics, which is also reflected in recent publications such as Dirk Oschmann's “Der Osten. Eine westdeutsche Erfindung” (2023) and Steffen Maus ”Ungleich vereint. Why the East remains different” (2024).

It is clear that thirty years after the fall of the Wall, no uniform picture can be drawn. Persistent inequalities in wages and property relations as well as the low level of representation in politics, the judiciary and academia require further reappraisal and thematization. One-sided discourses not only lead to gaps in research, but above all conceal existing complexity and diversity within East German society(ies). In this context, Michael Lühmann suggests assuming an “East German space of experience instead of an East German identity” (2021, p. 334). In order to express the pluralization of perspectives inherent in this space, both the consolidation and visualization of academic work with a focus on East Germany is necessary.

This is where the Transformation East network comes in, bringing together the various academic perspectives and expertise within the Technische Universität Dresden. A wide range of research topics and projects deal with the “East”, particularly Saxony due to its regional affiliation and media presence. The TU Dresden is aware of the special responsibility that science and, above all, the universities in Eastern Germany are confronted with due to their historical significance and the current situation. The reappraisal of its own historical processes—currently, for example, in the collaborative project “Narrative Transformation” —, the description and analysis of current dynamics in the tradition of local positioning and international perspective represent the genuine approach of the TU Dresden.

Subject areas and research projects

• Right-wing extremism, protest and populism
• Political culture and social self-image
• Universities, research and progress
• Art and culture

Information on the participating scientists, events and further contacts can be found on the subpages.

Further reading (selection)

• Lühmann, Michael: Identitäten und Anerkennungen im Vereinigungsprozess. In: Deutschland ist eins: vieles. Hg. v. Judith C. Enders et. al (Hg.): Frankfurt a.M. 2021, S. 253–339.

• Mau, Steffen: Ungleich vereint. Warum der Osten anders bleibt. (2024)

• Oschmann, Dirk: Der Osten. Eine westdeutsche Erfindung. (2023)