|
East Germany THE GERMAN PEOPLE
East Germany contains no minority groups of any significant
size. Most citizens identify themselves as Germans, culturally
and linguistically. The government, particularly since the early
1970s, has encouraged the development among its citizens of an
East German national consciousness distinct from that of West
Germans. It has adopted a "two-nation" policy and has pointed to
divergences in culture, language, and socioeconomic development
as proof that a single German nation no longer exists. Most East
Germans, however, believe that they share with their West German
counterparts a German nationality that is based on a common
ethnic heritage and shared historical experiences.
Data as of July 1987
|
