Hubby reminded me about something. He said, "Remember when the Berlin Wall first came down? West Germans weren't even friendly to East Germans. They didn't want to share their country with 'others'. They should have been thrilled with their freedom and reunited families but it wasn't enough. It was shocking to see the West Germans' hostile reaction."
Quote:
Although the physical barrier between east and west is a thing of the past, many Germans still speak about the "Mauer im Kopf" -- the Wall in the head.
In Berlin today, there's very little left of the Berlin Wall. Even those who've lived here all their lives have difficulty remembering exactly where it used to be. But if every fifth person in Germany had their way, the barrier that split the country during the Cold War would be resurrected.
A recent poll conducted by the Forsa research institute found that a quarter of West Germans wished the Berlin Wall could be rebuilt, while 12 percent of East Germans said they didn't want to live in a united Germany...
Stereotypes about East and West are stubborn. East Germans think of westerners as "Besser-Wessies," or arrogant know-it-alls. West Germans, in turn, roll their eyes about the "Jammer Ossies," or whining easterners....
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Breaking Down the Wall in the Head | Culture & Lifestyle | Deutsche Welle | 03.10.2004