Surprising Historical Counter-Developments in East and West-Germany. Condensed Results of a Socio-Historical Study of the1950s

Abstract

The inequalities in development between East and West Germany identified in current sociological studie for example, have deep roots in the immediate postwar period [1]. It is surprising that these differences are not based on the obvious systemic discrepancies between socialism and capitalism—but rather on everyday contrasts in work and life, shaped by the specific conditions of practice during the postwar era. This can be con-vincingly demonstrated by comparing two important industrial companies: AG “Weser” in Bremen and the “Neptun” shipyard in Rostock. The presented study focuses on actor typologies and their significance for the social space of both large enterprises. The inter-nal tensions that emerge and reveal drastic deviations make current developmental dis-parities between East and West Germany more comprehensible. The study to which this essay refers is based on intensive research in the company archives and on 67 extensive biographical-narrative interviews with employees of the two shipyards.