Berlin

Berlin While it's been 11 years since the Berlin Wall came down, divisions still remain between East and West Berliners.
On November 9th 1989 the Wall separating East Germany from West Germany came down. Since then the reunification process has been far from plain sailing. East Berliners, or Ossis, and West Berliners, or Wessis, still feel the divide socially. Jana, a journalist from the East who works in West Berlin, says social interaction between the two is rare; "I have some friends in West Berlin and I think that's quite seldom. All my other friends from the east, they don't have any friends in the west." Christiane, a Wessi, confirms this, pointing to the 40 years that the two nations were apart: "We do speak the same language, but of course after 40 years we have acquired totally different mentalities." The divide can also still be felt in the East's economy, with unemployment rising to 20%, a whole 10% more than in the West. It is because of this that many are feeling nostalgia for the old GDR, with East German festivals popping up around the city, and the Party of Democratic Socialism, the successor to East Germany's ruling party, gaining traction in local elections. Will East Germans ever truly feel part of their now new country, or will the divide be one that will never heal? A in-depth report covering both sides of the debate, and featuring excellent footage of the early days of the Berlin Wall.

Produced by ABC Australia
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