70-409: The German terms Bundeswappen ("Federal Coat of Arms") or Bundesadler ("Federal Eagle") may refer to: Coat of arms of Germany Coat of arms of Austria Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Bundeswappen . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
140-467: A black eagle with a red beak, a red tongue and red feet on a golden field, which is blazoned : Or, an eagle displayed sable beaked langued and membered gules . This is the Bundesadler ( German for ' Federal Eagle ' ), formerly known as Reichsadler ( German: [ˈʁaɪ̯çsˌʔaːdlɐ] , German for ' Imperial Eagle ' ). It is one of the oldest coats of arms in the world, and today
210-550: A comparatively realistic black eagle, with the heraldic crown of the German Empire . The eagle has a red beak, tongue and claws, with open wings and feathers. In contrast to its predecessor, the eagle of the German Confederation, it has only one head, looking to the right, symbolising that important parts of the old empire, Austria and Bohemia, were not part of this new empire. Its legal basis was an imperial rescript: To
280-498: A decision of the Reich's Government I hereby announce, that the Imperial coat of arms on a gold-yellow shield shows the one headed black eagle, the head turned to the right, the wings open but with closed feathering, beak, tongue and claws in red colour. If the Reich's Eagle is shown without a frame, the same charge and colors as those of the eagle of the Reich's coat of arms are to be used, but
350-584: A gold field). During the medieval period the imperial eagle was usually single-headed. A double-headed eagle is attributed as the arms of Frederick II in the Chronica Majora ( c. 1250 ). In 1433 the double-headed eagle was adopted by Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor . Thereafter the double-headed eagle was used as the arms of the German emperor, and hence as the symbol of the Holy Roman Empire of
420-420: A maximum of 18.7% in 2005. As of 2020, the unemployment rates in the new states were lower than in some old states. In the decade 1999–2009, economic activity per person rose from 67% to 71% of western Germany. Wolfgang Tiefensee , the minister then responsible for the development of the new states, said in 2009: "The gap is closing." The new states are also the part of the country that was least affected by
490-675: A million inhabitants again. Saxony-Anhalt had a population of 2,960,000 in 1989, which fell to 2,180,684 in 2020. The state has a long history of demographic decline: its current territory had a population of 4,100,000 in 1945. The emigration had already begun during the GDR years. Thuringia had a population of 2,680,000 in 1989, which fell to 2,120,237 in 2020. As of 2021 , the new states have 12.5 million people, about 15% of Germany's population, and slightly less than that of Bavaria . There are more migrants in former West Germany than in former East Germany. About 1.7 million people (or 12% of
560-511: A negative light and derided as "raven mothers" (Rabenmutter). At the time of reunification, almost 90% of women in East Germany were in full-time employment, whilst only about 55% in West Germany. In addition, East German mothers tend to have children earlier in life and return to work after taking just one year of maternity leave (as was the standard in the former East Germany), whilst women from
630-488: A poll found that 22% of former East Germans (40% under 25) considered themselves "real citizens of the Federal Republic"; 62% felt they were no longer citizens of East Germany, but not fully integrated into the unified Germany; and around 11% would have liked to have re-established East Germany. An earlier poll in 2004 found that 25% of West Germans and 12% of East Germans wished reunification had not happened. In 2023,
700-436: A poll found that 40% of East Germans identify as East Germans rather than German which was 52%. Some East German brands have been revived to appeal to former East Germans who are nostalgic for the goods they grew up with. Brands revived in this manner include Rotkäppchen , which holds about 40% of the German sparkling wine market, and Zeha , the sports shoe maker that supplied most of East Germany's sports teams as well as
770-564: A proto-heraldic emblem believed to have been used by Charlemagne , the first Frankish ruler crowned Holy Roman Emperor by the Pope in 800, and derived ultimately from the Aquila or eagle standard , of the Roman army . By the 13th century the imperial coat of arms was generally recognized as: Or, an eagle displayed sable beaked and membered gules (a black eagle with wings expanded with red beak and legs on
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#1733093054864840-639: Is based on the Reichsadler introduced by the Paulskirche Constitution of 1849, which was decided by the Germany National Assembly in Frankfurt upon Main, at the peak of the German civic movement demanding parliamentary participation and the unification of the German states. The achievements and signs of this movement had been mostly done away after its downfall and the political reaction in
910-517: Is the aggressive state atheist policies of the former GDR government. However, the enforcement of atheism existed only for the first few years. After that, the state allowed churches to have a relatively high level of autonomy. Another explanation could be the secularizing trend (the " Kulturkampf ") dating back to the second half of the 19th century in Prussia and through the Weimar Republic which
980-524: Is the state-owned project management institution responsible for the construction of approximately 1,360 km of federal roads within the VDE with a total budget of €10.2 billion. It is also involved in other transport projects, including 435 km of roads costing about €1,760 million as well as a city tunnel in Leipzig costing €685 million. The Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan 2003 includes plans to extend
1050-521: Is word for word identical to the announcement by President Friedrich Ebert and Interior Minister Erich Koch-Weser by 11 November 1919: By reason of a decision of the Federal Government I hereby announce that the Federal coat of arms on a gold-yellow shield shows the one headed black eagle, the head turned to the right, the wings open but with closed feathering, beak, tongue and claws of red color. If
1120-666: The Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) formed in 2013, creating a four-party system. Since 2009 at least four factions have been represented in each of the East German regional parliaments, six in Saxony. In 1998/1999, for example, only one of the regional parliaments included more than three factions. In the elections to the Bundestag , the CDU, SPD, FDP and Greens almost always receive fewer votes in
1190-450: The 2007–2008 financial crisis . Women in the eastern Germany are more likely to be employed full-time and reach higher positions in their career, and work longer hours. During the division of Germany, East German women were encouraged to seek full-time employment, housewives were derided as "parasites" (Schmarotzer); in contrast to West Germany, where tax and benefits system discouraged dual-earner families, so working mothers were seen in
1260-625: The A14 motorway from Magdeburg to Schwerin and to build the A72 from Chemnitz to Leipzig . Private ownership rates of cars have increased since 1990: in 1988, 55% of East German households had at least one car; in 1993 it rose to 67% and 71% in 1998, compared to the West German rates of 61% in 1988, 74% in 1993, and 76% in 1998. Unlike the West, there was a three-party system ( CDU , SPD , PDS/The Left ) until
1330-550: The GDR government in 1952 and re-established in 1990, are Brandenburg , Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania , Saxony , Saxony-Anhalt , and Thuringia . The state of Berlin , the result of a merger between East and West Berlin , is usually not considered one of the new states although many of its residents are former East Germans and many of its areas were in the former East Berlin. There have been 16 states in Germany since reunification. After
1400-573: The German Democratic Republic , the Federal Eagle has been the symbol of the reunified Germany. Official depictions of the eagle can be found not only in the federal coat of arms but also on the federal institutions flag, the standard of the president of Germany and official seals. These are designs by various artists of the Weimar period and differ primarily in the shape and position of
1470-513: The Holy Roman Emperors , in use during the 13th and 14th centuries (a black single-headed eagle on a golden background), before the emperors adopted the double-headed eagle , beginning with Sigismund of Luxemburg in 1433. The single-headed Prussian Eagle (on a white background; blazoned: Argent, an eagle displayed sable ) was used as an escutcheon to represent the Prussian kings as dynasts of
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#17330930548641540-644: The Kohl government to match the infrastructure of the new states to the levels of the western ones and to apportion the cost of unification and the expenses of both the Gulf War and European integration. The tax, which raises €11 billion annually, was planned to remain in force until 2019. Since reunification, the unemployment rate in the East has doubled that of the West. The unemployment rate reached 12.7% in April 2010, after reaching
1610-617: The Soviet Union national football team . The economic reconstruction of eastern Germany ( German : Aufbau Ost ) proved to be longer-term than originally foreseen. As of 2005, the standard of living and average annual income remained significantly lower in the new states. The federal government spent € 2 trillion to reunify and privatise 8,500 state-owned east German enterprises. Almost all East German industries were considered outdated while reunifying. Since 1990, amounts between €100 billion and €140 billion have been transferred to
1680-593: The WASG , The Left frequently loses in state elections and has been losing members since 2010. The Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), and The Left from 2005, have gained the following vote shares in recent elections: After losing votes to the AfD, the Left plans to establish a regional group in eastern Germany. After 1990, far-right and German nationalist groups gained followers. Some sources claim mostly among people frustrated by
1750-519: The 1850s. Only the tiny German Principality of Waldeck-Pyrmont upheld the tradition and continued to use the German colours called Schwarz-Rot-Gold in German (English: Black - Red - Or ). These signs had remained symbols of the Paulskirche movement and Weimar Germany wanted to express its view of being also originated in that political movement between 1848 and 1852. The republican coat of arms took up
1820-517: The AFD emerged as the largest in the states of Saxony and Thuringia , and saw a strong performance in eastern Germany . *With the votes of the FDP gains of 2001/02. Fringe parties, particularly the AfD and The Left, receive a large number of protest votes in eastern Germany, which causes voter shifting from left to right and vice versa. The Pirate Party Germany was chosen slightly more frequently in
1890-627: The AfD, regard the Pirate Party primarily as a protest party. The election slogans of the DVU in the regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt in 1998 were directed primarily against the politicians already represented in parliament: "Not the people – the political bigwigs, will dole!" And "German, let's not make the sow you. DVU – The protest in the election against dirty things from above". In particular, politically dissatisfied people were advertised towards with
1960-603: The East (10.1 percent) than in the West (8.1 percent) of Berlin. Among those under 30 years of age in East Berlin, the Pirates were the second most popular party with 20 percent of the votes. For example, none of the parties elected to the Berlin House of Representatives in 2011 lost a high proportion of their voters to the AfD as the Pirates at the next election in 2016 (16%). Other findings also suggest that some of their voters, like
2030-514: The Federal Eagle is shown without a frame, the same charge and colors as those of the eagle of the Federal coat of arms are to be used, but the tops of the feathers are directed outside. The patterns kept by the Federal Ministry of the Interior are definitive for the heraldic design. The artistic design is reserved to each special purpose. Since the accession (1990) of the states that used to form
2100-491: The Federal Press Office implemented a slightly simplified version of the original von Weech seal design which has since been used as a corporate design of the Federal government especially for publications and media appearances. It has no official status though as it is not mentioned in any ordinance or shown in the binding patterns of 1952 still in effect. The German Imperial Eagle ( Reichsadler ) originates from
2170-634: The German Empire. The Weimar Republic introduced a version in which the escutcheon and other monarchical symbols were removed. The Federal Republic of Germany adopted the Weimar eagle as its symbol in 1950. Since then, it has been known as the Bundesadler ("federal eagle"). The legal basis of the use of this coat of arms is the announcement by President Theodor Heuss , Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and Interior Minister Gustav Heinemann of 20 January 1950, which
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2240-580: The German Nation . From the 12th century the Emperors also used a personal coat of arms separate from the imperial arms. From the reign of Albert II (reigned 1438–39), the Emperors bore the old Imperial arms with an inescutcheon of pretence of his personal family arms, which appears as the black eagle with an escutcheon on his breast. In 1815, a German Confederation ( Bund ) of 39 loosely united German states
2310-515: The German passports. In 1949, the Federal Republic of Germany adopted all signs of Weimar Republic, Reichswappen, Reichsschild, Staatssiegel, Reichsflagge as Bundeswappen, Bundesschild. Bundessiegel and Bundesflagge in the 1950s. Nazi Germany used the Weimar coat of arms until 1935. The Nazi Party used a stylised black eagle above an oak wreath, with a swastika at its centre. With the eagle looking over its left shoulder, that is, looking to
2380-642: The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. During the 1848 revolution , a new Reich coat of arms was adopted by the National Assembly that convened in St. Paul's Church in Frankfurt . The black double-headed eagle was retained, but without the four symbols of the emperor: the sword, the imperial orb, the sceptre and the crown. The eagle rested on a golden shield; above was a five-pointed golden star. On both sides
2450-712: The PEGIDA demonstrators. (48% in the West) The Alternative for Germany ( Alternative für Deutschland ; AfD) had the most votes in the new states of Germany in the 2013 German federal elections , in 2017. and in 2021 elections. The party is seen as harbouring anti-immigration views. In 2016, AfD reached at least 17% in Saxony-Anhalt , Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (where the NPD lost all seats) and Berlin . In 2015, Rhineland-Palatinate interior minister Roger Lewentz said
2520-516: The Reich Chancellor Prince of Bismarck. Following your report of 27 June of this year I authorise: 1. that public authorities and public servants, appointed by the Emperor according to the requirements of the constitution and the laws of the German Empire, are to be called imperial; 2. that the black, one-headed, rightward-looking eagle with red beak, tongue and claws, without scepter and orb, on
2590-436: The Reich shows the swastika surrounded by an oak wreath, on the oak wreath an eagle with spread wings. The head of the eagle is turned to the right. For the heraldic design of the national emblem, the included patterns are decisive. The artistic design is varied for each special purpose. East Germany (German Democratic Republic) used a socialist insignia from 1950 until its reunification with West Germany in 1990. In 1959
2660-524: The Western states usually stay on maternity leave for the full 3 years until job protection ends. All the new states qualify as Objective 1 development regions within the European Union and were eligible to receive investment subsidies of up to 30% until 2013. The "German Unity Transport Projects" ( Verkehrsprojekte Deutsche Einheit , VDE) is a programme launched in 1991 that is intended to upgrade
2730-539: The adult population declared themselves as agnostics or non believer, while 34.1% declared themselves as atheists. Christians comprised 37.2% of the total population; by denomination, members of the Protestant Churches were 19.2%, members of other Christian denominations were 8.8%, Catholics were 7.1%, the Christian Orthodox were 2.1%. An explanation for the atheism in the new states, popular in other states,
2800-774: The anniversary of the Bombing of Dresden in World War II . There were 6,000 Nationalists which were met by tens of thousands of ″anti-Nazis″ and several thousand policemen. The Free Voters of Germany emerged in 2009 from the Land Brandenburg regional branch of Free Voters , after being excluded because of "signs of right infiltration" from the Federal Association of Free Voters Germany. Pegida has its focus in eastern Germany. A survey by TNS Emnid reports that in mid-December 2014, 53% of East Germans in each case sympathised with
2870-463: The breast shield the Prussian eagle, overlaid with the shield of the House of Hohenzollern, (i.e. with inescutcheon of pretence of Hohenzollern ("quarterly argent and sable")) over the same the crown in the form of the crown of Charlemagne, but with two crossing bows, may be brought into use; 3. that the Imperial standard [Script continues] After the introduction of the republic the coat of arms of Germany
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2940-577: The coat of arms and colors of the German Confederation and reserves the right, to make further decision about its use according to the lecture of the committee. In 1867, the North German Confederation was established without Austria and the four southern German states ( Bavaria , Württemberg , Baden , Hesse-Darmstadt with only its southern half) and under the leadership of the Kingdom of Prussia (see Coat of arms of Prussia ). A new coat of arms
3010-474: The fall of the Berlin Wall, the former East German states experienced high rates of depopulation until around 2008. About 2,000 schools closed between 1989 and 2008, because of a demographic shift to a lower number of children. In 2006, the fertility rate in the new states (1.30) approached those in the old states (1.34) and in 2016 it was higher than in the old states (1.64 vs. 1.60 in the old states). In 2019,
3080-404: The former communist states were "more susceptible" to "xenophobic radicalization" because former East Germany had not had the same exposure to foreign people and cultures over the decades that the people in the West of the country have had. In the 2017 federal election , AfD received approximately 22% of the votes in the East and approximately 11% in the West. In the 2021 federal election ,
3150-414: The high unemployment and the poor economic situation. Der Spiegel also points out that these people are primarily single men and that there may also be socio-demographic reasons. Since around 1998 the support for right-wing parties shifted from the south of Germany to the east. The far-right party German People's Union (DVU) formed in 1998 in Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg since 1999 . In 2009,
3220-540: The idea of the German crest established by the Paulskirche movement, using the same charge animal , an eagle, in the same colors (black, red and or), but modernising its form, including a reduction of the heads from two to one. The artistic rendition of the eagle was very realistic. This eagle is mounted on a yellow (golden) shield. The coat of arms was announced in 1919 by the President Friedrich Ebert and Interior Minister Erich Koch-Weser : By reason of
3290-643: The imperial coat of arms and the imperial eagle (Reichsgesetzbl. Pg 1877) is cancelled. Article 4 In agreement with the Representative of the Führer, the Reich Minister of the Interior will enact the regulations necessary to implement Article 1. Hitler added on 7 March 1936 that: In relation to the Regulation concerning the national emblem of the Reich of 5 November 1935, Article 1, I decide: The national emblem of
3360-538: The infrastructure of eastern Germany and modernize transport links between the old and new states. It consists of nine railway projects, seven motorway projects, and one waterway project with a total budget of €38.5 billion. As of 2009, all 17 projects were under construction or have been completed. The construction of new railway lines and high-speed upgrades of existing lines reduced journey times between Berlin and Hanover from over four hours to 96 minutes. Many railway lines (branches and main lines) have been closed by
3430-440: The insignia was also added to the flag of East Germany . New states of Germany The new states of Germany ( German : die neuen Länder / die neuen Bundesländer ) are the five re-established states of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) that unified with the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) with its 10 "old states" upon German reunification on 3 October 1990. The new states, which were dissolved by
3500-580: The left from the viewer's point of view. The emblem was established by a regulation made by Adolf Hitler, 5 November 1935: To express the unity of party and state in relation to their emblems too, I decide: Article 1 The Reich holds as emblem of its nationality the national emblem of the National Socialist German Workers Party. Article 2 The national emblems of the Wehrmacht remain intact. Article 3 The announcement concerning
3570-461: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bundeswappen&oldid=1126644350 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Coat of arms of Germany The coat of arms of Germany , also known as Bundesrepublik Deutschland displays
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#17330930548643640-485: The new Reichswappen already in 1927. Emil Doepler 's earlier design then became the Reichsschild (Reich's escutcheon ) with restricted use such as pennant for government vehicles. In 1920, Sigmund von Weech [ de ] designed a Staatssiegel (State seal), of which the smaller version was used since 1921 by all Reich ministries and authorities on official documents as a consistent sign. It also appeared on
3710-406: The new states annually. More than €60 billion were spent supporting businesses and building infrastructure in the years 2006–2008. A €156 billion economic plan , Solidarity Pact II, was enforced in 2005 and provided the financial basis for the advancement and special promotion of the economy of the new states until 2019. The "solidarity tax", a 5.5% surcharge on the income tax, was implemented by
3780-461: The new states had exactly the same fertility rate as the old states (both 1.56). More children are born out of wedlock in the new states than in the old states. In the new states, 61% of births were from unmarried women compared to 27% in the old states in 2009. Both states of Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania had the highest rates of birth outside wedlock at 64% each, followed by Brandenburg with 62%, Bavaria and Hesse at 26%, while
3850-546: The new states than in the old states, while Die Linke and AfD receive many more votes and support in the new states than in the old states. The democratic socialist party, The Left ( Die Linke , successor to the Party of Democratic Socialism , the GDR state party 's successor) has been successful throughout eastern Germany, perhaps as a result of the continued disparity of living conditions and salaries compared with western Germany, and high unemployment. Ever since it associated with
3920-525: The old states to the new states than vice versa. All of the new states have populations where 90-95% of people do not have a migrant background. Irreligion is predominant in former East Germany. An exception is former West Berlin , which had a Christian plurality in 2016 (44.4% Christian and 43.5% unaffiliated). It also has a higher share of Muslims at 8.5%, compared to former East Berlin with only 1.5% self-declared Muslims as of 2016. Eurostat 's Eurobarometer survey in 2015, found that 27.0% of
3990-416: The oldest national symbol used in Europe. It is a re-introduction of the coat of arms of the Weimar Republic (in use 1919–1935), which was adopted by the Federal Republic of Germany in 1950. The current official design is due to Karl-Tobias Schwab [ de ] (1887–1967) and was originally introduced in 1928. The German Empire of 1871–1918 had re-introduced the medieval coat of arms of
4060-412: The opposition requested an annual report on the topic. Saxony had a population of 5,003,000 in 1989, which fell to 4,056,094 in 2020. It remains the most populated among the five new states. The proportion of the population under 20 years of age fell from 24.6% in 1988 to 19.7% in 1999. Dresden and Leipzig are among the fastest-growing cities in Germany, both raising their population to over half
4130-409: The party lost its representation in the Landtag of Brandenburg . The far-right National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD) was represented in the Saxon State Parliament from 2004 to 2014 . In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern the NPD losts its representation in the parliament following the 2016 state elections . In 2009, Junge Landsmannschaft Ostdeutschland , supported by the NPD, organized a march on
4200-457: The population) had left the new states. A disproportionately high number of them were women under the age of 35. About 500,000 women under the age of 30 left for western Germany between 1993 and 2008. In some rural regions, the number of women between the ages of 20 and 30 dropped by more than 30 percent. After 2008, the net migration rate decreased significantly. In 2017, for the first time since German reunification, more people emigrated from
4270-454: The right from the viewer's point of view, it symbolises the Nazi Party, and was therefore called the Parteiadler . After 1935 the Nazis introduced their party symbol as the national insignia ( Hoheitszeichen ) as well. This version symbolises the country ( Reich ) and was therefore called the Reichsadler . It can be distinguished from the Parteiadler because the eagle of the latter is looking over its right shoulder, that is, looking to
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#17330930548644340-410: The shield was flanked by three flags with the colors black-red-gold. The emblem, however, never gained general acceptance. The coat of arms itself was the result of a decision of the federal assembly : The federal assembly constitutes the old German imperial eagle with the surrounding scripture "German Confederation" and the colors of the former German imperial coat of arms – black, red, gold – to be
4410-503: The state of Baden-Württemberg had the lowest rate at 22%. Brandenburg had a population of 2,660,000 in 1989 and 2,531,071 in 2020. It has the second-lowest population density in Germany. In 1995, it was the only new state to experience population growth, aided by nearby Berlin. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania had a population of 1,970,000 in 1989 and 1,610,774 in 2020, with the lowest population density in Germany. The local Landtag held several inquiries on population trends after
4480-399: The tops of the feathers are directed outside. The patterns kept by the Federal Ministry of the Interior are decisive for the heraldic design. The artistic design may be varied for each special purpose. However, in 1928 the Reichswappen (Reich's coat of arms) designed by Tobias Schwab (1887–1967) in 1926 (or 1924 ) for the German Olympic team became the official emblem. The Reichswehr adopted
4550-448: The unified Deutsche Bahn (German Railways) because of increased car usage and depopulation. The VDE states that some main lines are still not finished or upgraded, with the Leipzig-Nuremberg line (via Erfurt and part of the Munich-Berlin route) scheduled to come on-line in December 2017, almost three decades after reunification. Deutsche Einheit Fernstraßenplanungs- und -bau GmbH , (English: German Unity Road Construction Company; DEGES)
4620-425: The wings. A large and rather plump version of the eagle decorates the chamber of the Bundestag , the German parliament; it is sometimes called Fette Henne ("Fat Hen"), with a similar representation found on the German euro coins . In addition to the official depictions, artistic renderings of the federal eagle are permitted and have found their way onto coins, stamps and the letterhead of federal authorities. In 1997
4690-413: Was adopted, which consisted of a shield with the colors black-white-red, flanked by two wild men holding cudgels and standing on a pedestal. The Reichsadler had already been introduced at the Proclamation of Versailles, although the first version had been only a provisional one. The design of the eagle was altered at least twice during the German Empire (1871–1918). It shows the imperial eagle,
4760-406: Was also altered accounting for the political changes. The Weimar Republic (1918–1933), retained the Reichsadler without the symbols of the former Monarchy (Crown, Collar, Breast shield with the Prussian Arms). This left the black eagle with one head, facing to the right, with open wings but closed feathers, with a red beak, tongue and claws and white highlighting. The republican Reichsadler
4830-406: Was founded on the territory of the former Holy Roman Empire. Until 1848, the confederation did not have a coat of arms of its own. The Federal Diet ( Bundestag ) meeting at Frankfurt am Main used a seal which carried the emblem of the Austrian Empire , since Austria had taken over the union's leadership. It showed a black, double-headed eagle, which Austria had adopted just before the dissolution of
4900-605: Was strongest in the states of Thuringia and Saxony as well as the late arrival of Christianity to the region as opposed to southern Europe where it was the state religion from late antiquity. Persisting differences in culture and mentality among older East Germans and West Germans are often referred to as the "wall in the head" ("Mauer im Kopf"). Ossis (Easties) are stereotyped as racist, poor and largely influenced by Russian culture , while Wessis (Westies) are usually considered snobbish, dishonest, wealthy, and selfish. The terms can be considered to be disparaging. In 2009,
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