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QUALITY OF LIFE

How does Germany’s ‘phantom border’ still divide the country?

The inner German border separated East and West Germany from 1949 until the two sides reunited in 1990. Though the border was destroyed 30 years ago, it still impacts the lives of people living on either side of the line.

Published: 21 February 2024 10:05 CET
Young boy watches the Berlin wall fall
June 1990 - A young boy looking on as heavy machinery is used to dismantle wall sections on the East German side of the Berlin Wall. Photo: picture alliance / dpa | Mauritz Antin

A so-called phantom border (Phantomgrenze) is an informal delineation that follows the course of an abolished political border. But not all fallen borders make for phantoms. 

Phantom borders are defined by demographic differences that are seen on each side due to a historical division, despite political union in the present.

Germany’s former East-West border is a classic example of a phantom border. People living in former East and West Germany lived within different economic and political systems for decades. 

Even though the nation has since unified, and Germans on both sides of the country have enjoyed freedom of movement for decades, a number of trends (from which brand of car people prefer to how likely they are to play tennis) show that east-west differences persist, as was recently shown in a collection of maps tweeted by researcher Tomas Pueyo.

Demarcated by the internal border, former East German states include Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, and Thuringia. East Berlin was also part of the former GDR, with the Berlin Wall slicing the city in half. 

READ ALSO: 33 years on – Are east and west Germany growing apart?

The East-West pay gap remains high

Many of the differences that remain between former East and West German lives come down to business and money.

A significant disparity remains between average monthly salaries, with people in the former East earning approximately €13,000 less per year than their western counterparts. 

A map of the headquarters of Germany’s largest firms shows that the country’s western and southern states are home to virtually all of the largest German companies, with just a handful of companies in the eastern states (excluding Berlin).

The west’s abundance of company offices also ties into its relatively low unemployment rates, whereas former eastern states are all plagued with significantly greater unemployment.

Interestingly, in terms of hours worked per year eastern regions tend to rank higher, with former West Germany averaging 1,281 hours worked per year versus 1,350 in the East. In other words, the lower incomes in the eastern states don’t seem to be linked to lower productivity. 

READ ALSO: 10 things you never knew about German reunification

Views of democracy are also affected by the phantom border

In addition to economic differences, former East and West Germany were ruled by entirely different political systems – with democratic organisation in the West and a socialist state under Soviet influence in the East.

All of Germany has since unified under the West’s democratic model, but a stark difference is still seen in the way people vote.

It appears that people in the former West have greater faith in the democratic process – voter turnout is noticeably lower in the former East. 

Of those that do vote, former Eastern Bloc citizens tend to prefer both the Left and the AfD parties (according to 2021 election results). In western states, meanwhile, voters are more likely to select the Greens.

READ ALSO: How the German language differed between East and West

The aforementioned economic disparity is one factor that is likely driving support for far-right political agendas in the East – where residents regularly report feeling left behind in modern Germany.

Another key factor is immigration issues.

How the East-West divide affects immigration

During the German Democratic Republic (former East Germany), residents didn’t experience much immigration except for people coming from Russia or other former Soviet states.

This decades old trend has continued to some degree until today, with the share of immigrants being generally higher in western regions, while Russian immigration in particular remains higher in the eastern Germany.

The famous Karl Marx statue in Chemnitz, Saxony.

The famous Karl Marx statue in Chemnitz, Saxony. The divisions between East and West can still be felt in Germany today. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Hendrik Schmidt

Growing up around immigrant communities, or not, seems to have affected attitudes and beliefs that some people have held onto long after ‘the wall’ fell. 

READ ALSO: Analysis – Are far-right sentiments growing in eastern Germany?

In present-day eastern Germany, there have been recent reports of immigrants moving away to escape racism and feeling unwelcome.

Some effects of the phantom border are unexpected

Beyond impacts that are directly linked to economic or political differences, Germany’s phantom border can also be felt in some trends that at first seem totally random.

For example, former Eastern regions tend to have more graffiti, and also happen to be home to about twice as many Olympic medal winners.

On the other hand, former Western regions have higher rates of organ donations and significantly more tennis courts.

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For members

GERMAN CITIZENSHIP

How much do you need to earn to qualify for citizenship in Germany?

Applicants for German citizenship need to be able to support themselves financially, but it's often unclear what that means in practice. Here's how to work out if your income is high enough for citizenship.

Published: 15 May 2024 15:29 CEST
How much do you need to earn to qualify for citizenship in Germany?

Out of the requirements for qualifying for a German passport, supporting yourself financially is one of the most important – and one of the most confusing.

Many foreigners assume that the authorities have a magic number in mind and will often worry about whether their income is above or below this threshold.

In reality, though, the law is much more flexible. In section ten of the nationality law, it states that applicants must show that they “can support themselves and their dependent family members without claiming benefits under the Second or Twelfth Book of the Social Code.”

In other words, that your income is healthy enough to not rely on the state for things like long-term unemployment benefits.

According to Fabian Graske, an immigration lawyer at Migrando, around €1,500 gross per month for a single person is usually considered enough to live on. 

That said, there isn’t really a one-size-fits-all approach to this quesiton. 

When it comes to working out if your income is high enough, you’ll need to take into account a number of factors that your case worker at the naturalisation office will also weigh up. 

That’s why it’s important to ask yourself a number of questions that go beyond just how much you earn: 

How high are your living costs? 

In Germany, there are huge regional differences in the cost of living, so what someone can afford to live on varies hugely from place to place.

For example, someone living in pricey Munich is likely to need much more money for rent or their mortgage than a resident of much more affordable places like Halle or Leipzig, so you should consider whether what you earn is enough to offer a basic standard of living in the city or town you live in. 

READ ALSO: Requirements, costs and permits – 6 essential articles for German citizenship

It is worth mentioning, though, that what you actually pay for rent and bills matters more than the averages. If you’re lucky enough to find an apartment with unusually low rent in Berlin, for instance, you can probably get away with earning less money as well. 

Are you single or do you have a family?

If you’re single and have no children, you’ll likely get a lot more lenience from the authorities when it comes to having a lower-than-average income.

A family sit at a lake.

A family sit at a lake in Bavaria. Image by Eva Mospanova from Pixabay

Of course, if you have dependents such as kids or a spouse who doesn’t work (or both), you’ll need to ensure not only that your own living costs are taken care of, but also that your family can survive on your income alone.

That naturally means you’ll be expected to earn a certain amount more for each dependent child or adult.

On the plus side, any income your spouse does earn will be counted alongside your own, so if you’re the one who is supported by their partner, the authorities will also take this into account. 

Is your job stable or unstable?

One key thing to think about when applying for citizenship is the security of your work contract. Someone who has a long-term contract with an employer and has passed their probationary period will be in a much better position than someone who is still on a three-month trial, for example.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t submit a citizenship application after just starting a new job, but be aware that the authorities may well wait to process your application until you’ve passed the initial probation and have been put onto a longer-term contract. 

A similar rule of thumb applies to people who are currently claiming Arbeitslosengeld I (ALG I), or unemployment insurance. Though this doesn’t disqualify you from citizenship, it may delay your application until you can find a stable job. 

READ ALSO: Can I still get German citizenship after claiming benefits?

Do you need to rely on welfare payments to get by?

A key aspect of German naturalisation law is working out whether you’re likely to be a financial burden on the state by relying too much on the welfare system.

The entrance to the Jobcenter in Düsseldorf,

The entrance to the Jobcenter in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Oliver Berg

While everyone needs a helping hand from time to time, claiming benefits like long-term unemployment benefit (Bürgergeld) or housing benefit (Wohngeld) to top up your income sadly shuts you out of the naturalisation process and could also make it hard for you to qualify in the future. 

Luckily, this doesn’t apply to all types of state support – Kindergeld, ALG I and Bafög don’t count, for example – so seek advice from a lawyer or your local citizenship office if you’re unsure.

How old are you?

Though this is hard to fully quantify, age can sometimes play a role in assessments of your financial fitness in Germany.

A young person fresh out of university or vocational college may be seen as someone with high earning potential over the years, so in some cases the authorities may take a more relaxed approach to their current income.

In contrast, an older person coming to the end of their working life could be held to slightly stricter standards. 

This is also why it can be important to show that you have sufficient pension contributions or another form of security for the future, such as owning your own home or having lots of savings. 

READ ALSO: How can over 60s get German citizenship under the new nationality law?

What counts as ‘income’ under German law?

It’s important to note that income doesn’t just have to mean the salary you get at your job: income from rental properties, side hustles and freelance gigs can also be included, as well as things like alimony payments after divorce.

Once again, if you’re unsure, just ask. The citizenship offices are there to advise you and should give you clear instructions about what kind of documents count as proof of income in your application. 

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