Germany

Germany has been united for no longer than 120 years, a baby compared to its European neighbors. It is not an integrated country; instead it is made up of many diverse communities called Lander. Germany is well known for having been separated into East and West Germany, but the country has been split from north to south for many more years. The south is very much a part of central Europe with it sloping hills and picturesque scenery, while the north is made up of windy plains and suffers through harsh winters. The people from the north are Protestant, stolid, reserved and sophisticated while those from the south tend to be jovial and catholic. The distinct differences between the German people have led to many stereotypical jokes.

Until unification in 1866 Germany was made up of some thirty kingdoms, duchies and free cities. The communities ranged from tiny fiefs to the empires of Prussia and Bavaria and they survived until the Weimar Republic instituted a kind of federal system in 1919. Today there are 16 Lander, and each one is in charge of education, culture, justice and even some aspects o

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These amendments have helped to end fighting between the Lander by standardizing many things such as civil servant salaries. The Bund has increased its power over the Lander in the past thirty years; in fact the constitution has been amended 34 times in favor of the Bund. I on the other hand feel that while Berlin may have been better for many Germans, keeping the capital at Bonn would have made it a lot easier for many people to sleep at night. It seemed that Bonn had a lock on keeping the government leading up to the decision. West Berliners started by offering East Germans complimentary gifts and services, but soon grew tired of what came along with unification. Bonn had been the capital of West Berlin for many years and it posed no threat because of its obscurity and democratic record.

Germany and the Germans

Chapter 2

Ben Ezrick

German 004

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**Bibliography**

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West Berlin, 1945-89: the buoyant survivor and The New United Berlin and its Victory over Bonn

When the wall was built across Berlin in 1958 families were severed and crossing was impossible. The streets of West Berlin soon became filled with smelly "Trab!

i" cabs from the east and crime, traffic and rent had all increased. The Lander work along with the federal government (Bund) in a harmonious way that the Scots would envy. It was only until 1971 that travel was allowed and that was only because the allies pleaded with the Russians. By this time people were getting used to the wall and it did not even bother most Berliners, but in 1989 to the surprise of almost everyone the wall came down. But nevertheless on June 20, 1991 Berlin won the vote by a slim margin. The author added a little bit of his own opinion here. That was a turning point for this troubled city as companies started to invest in West Berlin, although the city still depended on subsidies from Bonn.

Common topics in this essay:
West Berlin, West Germany, United Treaty, Federal Republic, Lander Germany, Weimar Republic, Victory Bonn, Unlike European, East Germans, Berlin Germans, west berlin, lander germany, european neighbors, largest cities, capital bonn,

Approximate Word count = 793
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

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