ABSTRACT
The more insecure individuals feel in the new environment and with the vast consumption opportunities, the more likely they will seek safety in previously acquired, familiar behaviors. The state replaced consumption as the mediator between various needs with an anticonsumption ideology. One of the most important substitutes was consumption. Disposed of its role as a mediator of “Tension of Needs” consumption manifested itself in the socialist form of “hunting and garnering.” Based on the manifold behaviors of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) citizenry, eight typical lifestyles can be distinguished that form the foundation of today’s life-styles and consumption patterns in the New Bundeslanders. During GDR times, West German magazines and newspapers were very popular and frequently were smuggled into the country. Since the opening of the East German market, following the collapse of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, retailers, advertising agencies, and market researchers have found themselves time and again confronted with unexpected problems.
