ABSTRACT
The unification of the two German states or, to put it more precisely, the accession of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) to the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), is a historically unique event with farreaching consequences for the future political and economic order of Europe, not least, however, for the ‘new’ Federal Republic of Germany itself. Although it is as yet impossible to detect many changes in the system of institutions and values of the ‘old’ Federal Republic of Germany, the incorporation of an alien-even largely contradictory-state form, with the resulting redistribution of resources and integration of 16 million people shaped by different values and behaviour, imply significant challenges and problems in the future.
