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Germany: A nation of many realities

Germany is a country that carries a long, bitter and complicated history. It featured heavily in the occupational wars of Europe, which are commonly referred to as the World Wars. Both were lost in 1918 and 1945. Later on it broke into two, a development whose consequences still hang on in the life and minds of its people.
Politically, the country has had a rugged terrain. Since 1933, Adolf Hitler dominated for 12 years and is notoriously remembered for unleashing a reign of terror that saw the extermination of six million Jews. After the genocide, few believed Jews had a future in Germany. Trapped between a horrifying past and an uncertain future, Jews that survived the holocaust were seen more as reminders of the past than remnants of brutality. That grim past continues to be a source of debate. There had been disagreement whether it was necessary to erect a memorial for the murdered Jews. In 2005, parliamentarians gave a go ahead and a symbolic memorial has now been built in Berlin.

Another dark spot Germans are struggling to overcome was the partitioning of their country into two. On 13 August 1961, defence troops and soldiers of the East Berlin army began to erect a barrier along the over 160 km long border of the East and the West. This became known as the Berlin Wall. Its purpose was to stem the flood of emigration and the impending collapse of the economy in the East. More than 2.6 million people had fled from the German Democratic Republic , as the establishment in the East called itself, to seek economic opportunities in the West. To date the inequalities still exist, with the West more prosperous than the East. To address the imbalances, some of the taxes collected in the prosperous region are distributed to the former East.

Memories of the Wall that stood for 28 years are as hard to erase as it was to imagine a united Germany. The Wall tore families and cut off friendships. According to the Berlin Wall Documentation Centre, more than 150 people died while trying to cross the barrier."I never ever believed reunification would be possible," says Christoph Kleßmann, a professor of history at Potsdam University. "Nobody in East or West Germany believed it." When the GDR announced the free movement of people, the masses, in a state of ecstasy, brought down the Wall in November 1989. On 3 October 1990, a Reunification Treaty was signed. That marked a new era in the country´s political life.

Today, the site where the Wall once stood attracts thousands of tourists everyday. Parts of the Wall still stand for tourist purposes although other Germans loathe the rememberance of the past. Opinions are divided on whether Germans should forget the past and move on or carry their past into the future.

Despite its divided past, Germany soldiers on, hoping for a more a united future. With 16 federal states, it is the biggest country in the European Union (EU). The largest economy in the 27-member bloc, accounting for 20.8 per cent of the total, it also enjoys the pride of being the world's largest exporter. Its unemployment rate stands at 10 per cent. The irony, though, is that while there is unemployment, there is also a shortage of skills in some key sectors of the economy. In a major shift of policy, the government in August 2007 agreed to open up its labour market to other EU citizens to tap missing skills.

The country has made a huge investment in infrastructure. It is such a bastion of economic activity that each city has something to offer. Some renowned car manufacturers have their base in Germany. Mercedez Benz in Stuttgart, VW in Wolfsburg, BMW in Munich and Audi in Ingolstadt.

Hamburg hosts the second biggest port in Europe and Frankfurt is a financial centre, hosting the headquarters of the German national bank and the European Central Bank. In the city of Bonn the media company Deutsche Welle is located, broadcasting in 30 languages including to several African audiences. Article 5 of the German constitution, guarantees the independence of the media, whether State-owned or private. Bonn may have lost its capital city status but remains thriving. At the time of moving the capital, there were protests that if all major offices relocated, there would be a negative economic impact created by the subsequent migration of workers and reduced number of consumers. The real estate market would dwindle and that business would generally suffer. Thus the federal government struck a deal with the city managers to have international organisations based in Bonn. Hosting UN agencies and other influential ones still gives the city a high status.

The capital, Berlin, is a vast and bustling city. On June 20, 1999, the Bundestag (Parliament) decided to move the capital from Bonn to Berlin. With an area of 890 square kilometers and a population of 3.4 million, it is a city that has many facets – a seat of government, a cultural centre and a popular tourist destination, among others. In this part of the world, statistics come in easy and handy such that I was able to learn that the population of dogs in the city stands at around 100,000.

Germans love outdoor life and this is seen in the countless number of restaurants dotted around. They love their coffee, too. There is one café which is 'home' to politicians. Over cups of steaming coffee, they gossip about the latest political calculations in town.

"If you want to know what is happening in politics, ask the owner [of the café]," chuckles Micheal.

Berlin's tall buildings are of a breathtaking architecture. In the 1950s, Germany sent its architects to the Soviet Union to learn the socialist impression of architecture. Most churches, universities, offices, museums and cinema halls charm visitors by their structure. The Bundestag, built in 1894, but modernised at a cost of €300 million, attracts three million visitors yearly. The special attraction is the glass dome which rises sky high from the chamber where the 613 MPs meet. Overlooking the legislature is the Office of the Chancellor. It is a splendid makeup which includes the official residence but the current Chancellor opted for her private home.

Castles come in copious quantity. The plush building housing the office of President Horst Köhler is a 1735 castle that was used by a Prussian king. Berlin is also a great diplomatic centre, hosting 135 embassies. The Russian Embassy occupies a 700-roomed building. Who knows, perhaps this is to reflect the heavy involvement of the Soviet Union in German life.

As we move on in the middle of town, we could see the bunker, where Hitler committed suicide in April 1945. Nearby the building with the office of his 'spin doctor', Dr Joseph Goebbels, who directed the propaganda campaign.

But aside its beauty and elegance, this city also has a shady past to it. In 1884, the major European powers met at what was called the Berlin Conference in their scramble for Africa. This gathering was about sharing the African continent into colonies. Germany got Rwanda, Burundi and South West Africa, now Namibia.

For years, political power has oscillated between the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats. Currently, the two are running a coalition government headed by the first woman Chancellor, Angela Merkel. Other parties represented in the Bundestag are the Green Party, the Liberals and the Socialists. Political parties enjoy state funding and can be refunded their election related expenses. The President, elected by a committee of MPs and several interest groups, is largely ceremonial although signs bills into law.

Germany moves on.