DUAL GERMANY – A Comparative History from 1949 to 1990

  • A multifaceted portrait of the two Germanys.
  • A unique parallel history and a new look from 1949 to today by bestselling author Ursula Weidenfeld.
  • 65,000 copies of Die Kanzlerin were sold – and translated into 7 languages!

With a comparative perspective and a constant shift of viewpoints, this book offers a fresh and unique understanding of both West Germany and the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Weidenfeld describes how various aspects developed differently in both states, such as the role of women in work and family, child-rearing practices, education in schools, workplace affiliations, consumer behavior, and the peculiarities of daily life – after all, there were two separate countries. Surprisingly, commonalities also emerge, including the idea of the "typical German." In both blocs, "the Germans" were regarded as hardworking model citizens. Could there be a shared national culture, a shared mentality?

Weidenfeld examines not only diverse aspects that shaped life in both states – from West Germany's economic miracle to the family model in the GDR – but also influential figures such as Willy Brandt and Udo Lindenberg. The latter struggled for a long time to be allowed to perform in the GDR and eventually gave a single concert on East German soil in 1983, under strict surveillance by the Stasi.

"A highly compelling analysis of an era poised between the present and history that is truly worth reading." Deutschlandfunk Kultur on Die Kanzlerin

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  • Publisher: Rowohlt Berlin
  • Release: 30.01.2024
  • ISBN: 978-3-7371-0167-7
  • 416 Pages
  • Author: Ursula Weidenfeld

Awards

  • 2024: empfohlen - Sachbuch-Bestenliste

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Buchcover von DUAL GERMANY – A Comparative History from 1949 to 1990: Eine Parallelgeschichte, 1949 – 1990
Ursula Weidenfeld DUAL GERMANY – A Comparative History from 1949 to 1990
Portrait von Ursula Weidenfeld
© Marc Darchinger
Ursula Weidenfeld

Ursula Weidenfeld , born in 1962, studied economic history, German and political economics in Bonn and Munich. Among other roles, she was the Berlin correspondent of the  Wirtschaftswoche  as well as head of the business desk and deputy editor-in-chief of the Berlin  Tagesspiegel . Today she works as a freelance business journalist, as well as a presenter and commentator on television and radio. In 2007, Ursula Weidenfeld was awarded the Ludwig Erhard Prize for Economic Journalism.  Regierung ohne Volk  was published in 2017, followed by  Die Kanzlerin , a biography of Angela Merkel, in 2021, which remained on the Spiegel bestseller list for several months.