Cultural differences between east and west Germany (1945 - 1961) - Research Proposal Example

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EAST AND WEST GERMAN HIST 2607 May 16, Cultural Differences between East and West German The proposalaims at discussing the cultural differences between East and West Germany from 1948 to 1961. East and West Germany initially had a common culture, history, and mentality but due to the communism spirit, differences developed between the two. There were structural and political issues affecting the communities as well as social and religious challenges such atheism in the East2.

The cultural differences that existed between 1945 and 1961 were the main reasons for the division of Germany into two parts, East and West.The study will be of great interest as there are many people who do not understand the reason East and the West Germans behave differently, and the West is more developed than the East especially in governing matters1. History plays a great role in shaping communities and Germany was not an exception especially between 1948 and 1961when most of the differences existed.

The study will enlighten many readers and the future researchers and help them understand the problems that faced countries and communities in the earlier times. Germany participated in the killing of many Jews due to racism that characterized the communities3.1The importance issues for discussion in this proposal are the highlights of the cultural issues such as the military culture between the East and the West Germany some of which exist today5. There was a strong social and collective mentality in the communist society in the East Germany, unlike West Germans who are individualistic.

Religion also brought some differences in that there were few believers in the East in which many are atheist and unreligious4. In West Germany, more people were religious and attended the church and other worship places. The hobbies for the two regions were also different with East Germany loving nudism a lot more than West Germans do. Racism was also common in East Germany, it was rare to find foreigners, and seclusion for the few who existed was common5. The Nazi party persecuted many Jews, killed millions, and split their families by offering the convenient divorce.

Even today, racism exists in the East more than it does in the West Germany, for instance, the Nazi dressing code that identified them for discrimination4.There are various research methods to use in this proposal to discuss the differences, which exist in the two communities in Germany. First, examination of the available primary sources and lecture notes will assist in gathering enough literature for the study. Secondary sources such as academic journals and other scholarly work will provide enough information relating to the cultural differences between the East Germans and the West Germans.

The sources will help in gathering evidence to support the proposal through the analysis of the content contained in them. The in-depth investigation of the cultural differences between the two communities will help to explain the current development differences between West and East Germany and the reason for existence of racism, and communism in East Germany and capitalism is common in West Germany6. The questions of interest are why Germany split into two groups, why the West is more developed than the East, and why the West is more religious than the East.

The study will involve the use of all the available resources to come up with credible arguments regarding the development of Germany and the main causes of the cultural differences in the period between 1948 and 1961. Some of the differences are still notable up to date and have affected other aspects of the society such as politics, social organization, and development. The East is a communist society and less developed than the West, which is more capitalistic. The methodology to be used in this study will assist in gathering enough evidence to support all the arguments in the research and enhance its credibility.

2BibliographyBleek, Wilhelm, and Elizabeth Homer. "From Cold War to Ostpolitik: Two Germanys in Search of Separate Identities." World Politics 29, no. 01 (1976): 114-129.Bundestag.de,. 2015. German Bundestag - From The Parliamentary Council To The Most Visited Parliament In The World. https://www.bundestag.de/htdocs_e/artandhistory/history. Jewishvirtuallibrary.org,. 2015. The Holocaust Wing | Jewish Virtual Library. https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/holo.html. Wood, Geoffrey T., and Christel Lane, eds.

Capitalist diversity and diversity within capitalism. Routledge, 2011.Saxonberg, Steven. The fall: a comparative study of the end of communism in Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary and Poland. Routledge, 2013.Wells, Roger Hewes. The States in West German federalism: a study of Federal-State relations, 1949-1960. Bookman Associates, 1961.