30 Years Fall of the Berlin Wall

Attitudes towards reunification. Attitudes towards democracy. Personal experiences and contacts between West and East. Perception of living conditions and economic situation. Comparison of characteristics, prejudices, accusations. Life in the GDR: comparison with the personal situation today.

Topics: Most important problem in Germany; associations with the fall of the Wall; evaluation of the reunification as successful; rapprochement or distance between East and West Germans; Berlin as a symbol of German unity; predominance of differences or similarities between East and West Germany or the north and south of Germany; satisfaction with democracy; democracy as the best form of government; national pride as much as other nations; inner-German migration: moving from East Germany to West Germany; moving before or after the opening of the Wall in 1989; moving from West Germany to East Germany; frequency of visits to East Germany/ West Germany since reunification; East Germans/West Germans in the family or East Germans/West Germans in family or circle of friends; assessment of one´s own economic situation; national or regional identity; profiteers of the reunification (rather East Germans/ West Germans); attitude towards the term ´Ossi´ or ´Wessi´; assessment of the living situation of East Germans compared to that of West Germans; time perspective for the alignment of the living conditions of East Germans with those of West Germans; opinion on the amount of financial support for the reconstruction of the East; perceived injustices between East Germans and West Germans; comparison of characteristics between East and West Germans (arrogant, helpful, selfish, optimistic, self-confident, tolerant); who is more strongly behind democracy (East Germans/ West Germans); greater spread of xenophobia in the East or West; agreement on statements about East and West Germans; life in the GDR: Comparison with the personal situation today (life in general and political conditions); own expectations of reunification have been fulfilled; assessment of the current personal situation with regard to the economic situation, social security and personal freedoms in comparison with the time in the GDR before reunification; party sympathy.

Demography: age (categorised); sex; highest level of education or desired school-leaving qualification; university degree; occupation; job security; occupational status; characteristics of employees and civil servants; household size; number of persons in the household aged 18 and over.

Additionally coded: Respondent ID; federal state; Berlin West/East; city size; reached via mobile or fixed telephone line; weighting factors; mobile only: reached at home or elsewhere; reached via an additional fixed telephone number (homezone or home option) on the mobile phone; fixed telephone line in the household; number of fixed telephone numbers; additional mobile telephone number; or number of mobile telephone numbers via which one can be reached; fixed line only: mobile phone ownership.