37 years after fall of Berlin Wall: How divided are Germans?

Three artists share their thoughts on the reunification of East and West Germany. How do they perceive a shared "we" and what gives them cause for optimism? When the Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989, ending East Germany's isolation from the West, the event was celebrated on both sides of the wall. Yet, 37 years later, many people on both sides remain deeply skeptical of each other.

Surveys show that only a minority of respondents report feeling a strong sense of community between those from former East and West Germany, and many continue to perceive significant differences. We asked three artists from Germany with different perspectives on the history of the country's division to share their views. Author Lea Streisand was born in 1979 and experienced the fall of the Berlin Wall firsthand while growing up in East Berlin. The novel "Hufeland, at the corner of Bötzow" (2019, Ullstein), for example, recounts the period of reunification from a child's perspective.

"November 9, 1989, was simply incredible," she told DW. She was 10 years old at the time.