BERLIN AND GERMAN UNIFICATION: REFLECTIONS ON A STUDY TRIP TO EAST GERMANY

Reports a recent international study trip (a group of university professors and scholars) giving an opportunity to experience first‐hand the changes involved in unifying the two Germanies, and extending the realm of capitalism and a free‐market system to Russia and to witness examples of the systematic gap between East and West caused by decades of social, political and economic value systems. The visit included the German Chamber of Commerce, a tour of a former East German machine tool factory, Treuhandanstalt – the government organization responsible for privatizing East German businesses, the Free University and Humboldt University, and numerous talks by educational and governmental leaders. Outlines the findings and adds comments from speakers, further analysis on the unification progress to date, and information on future challenges.