Germany is still divided by east and west

After the collapse of Nazi Germany in the Second World War, Germany was split within the western countries and the Soviet Union in the east.

The Federal Republic of Germany, usually known as West Germany, was a congressional democracy with a capitalist economic system, free religion, and labor unions. The German Democratic Republic, known as East Germany, was the communist-socialist republic that retains it within the Soviet sphere of control.

After experiencing an “economic wonder” in 1955, West Germany became the most wealthy European economy. East Germany deteriorated as USSR mainly controlled its financial system.

Germany was reunited in 1990, but the differences between East and West Germany are visible to this day, even from space.

The East Berlin used yellow sodium lights instead of the mercury vapor or metal halide lights they typically favored in West Berlin. The division between West and East Berlin still so visible a quarter of a century after the fall of the wall, the old systems are possibly not electrically compatible. Hence, conversion takes more than just plugging in the right bulbs.

The Berlin Wall fell more than 30 years ago, but Germany is still divided. The differences between East and West Germany cover almost every aspect of life: politics, economy, religion, education, even sport.

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