The Treuhand - depending on the political perspective it is either solely responsible for a "sell-out of the East" or its work is presented as "historically without alternative". More than 30 years after German reunification, the experiences and memories of the process of German unity and in particular of the role of the Treuhand within East and West Germany are still very different. Yet, the topic of Treuhand practically does not take place in school and extracurricular education. In West Germany, almost no one under the age of 30 knows the Treuhandanstalt, in East Germany many younger people know the term at most from private stories of their parents or grandparents. This is surprising as the work of this institution continues to shape our reality to this day.

The workshop "A Life in Germany – Perspectives on the Work of the Treuhand and its Consequences" designed by planpolitik thus closes a gap in contemporary historical educational work and enables an interactive discussion and discussion of the German unification process. Based on the work of the Treuhandanstalt, the effects of unification on the (fictitious) biographies of 10 people in East and West Germany are outlined as examples. In this way, the participants look at the transformation process since the early 1990s from very different perspectives. The aim is to question rigid positions between East and West Germans and to awaken in young people an understanding of a history of social transformation and upheaval processes with all their successes as well as difficulties.

The implementation of this exciting historical educational project for young people aged 16 and over was supported by the Federal Foundation for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship and the Evangelical Academy in Berlin. A detailed handout enables teachers to use the materials independently – whether in school or extracurricular educational work. 

All materials are available free of charge at www.elid-interaktiv.de. We welcome feedback from users!