Transformation East: Research focus on societal change in East Germany
Keramik-Wandbild „Dresden grüßt seine Gäste“, 12 x 6 m, von Kurt Sillack und Rudolf Lipowski
The fall of the Berlin Wall and the unification of the old and new federal states are regarded as formative events for the Federal Republic of Germany. The post-socialist transformation in particular has given rise to its own areas of tension. From right-wing extremism to populism, from the liquidation of East German companies to the current development of cutting-edge research, from citizens' experiences of marginalization to their designation as avant-garde - numerous narratives characterize the specifics of these regions and are currently undergoing academic reappraisal.
It is clear that thirty years after the fall of the Wall, no uniform picture can be drawn. Persistent inequalities in wages, property ownership and the low level of representation in politics, the judiciary and academia require further reappraisal and thematization, as was once again made clear last year in publications such as Dirk Oschmann's "Der Osten. Eine westdeutsche Erfindung".
The TUD Dresden University of Technology brings together academic perspectives and expertise and deals with "East Germany" in a variety of research topics. In doing so, it does justice to the special responsibility that science and, above all, the universities in Eastern Germany are confronted with due to their historical significance and the current situation. The reappraisal of its own historical processes and responsibility through to the description and analysis of current dynamics in the tradition of local positioning and international perspective represent the genuine approach of TU Dresden.
Subject areas and research projects
- Right-wing extremism, protest and populism
- Political culture and social self-image
- Universities, research and progress
- Art and culture
Information on the participating scientists, events and further contacts can be found on the subpages.