24) East Germany: Homesick for dictatorship

Der Spiegel [Germany]

"Glorification of the German Democratic Republic is on the rise two

decades after the Berlin Wall fell. Young people and the better off

are among those rebuffing criticism of East Germany as an

'illegitimate state.' In a new poll, more than half of former eastern

Germans defend the GDR. ... Today, 20 years after the fall of the

Berlin Wall, 57 percent, or an absolute majority, of eastern Germans

defend the former East Germany. 'The GDR had more good sides than bad

sides. There were some problems, but life was good there,' say 49

percent of those polled. Eight percent of eastern Germans flatly

oppose all criticism of their former home and agree with the

statement: 'The GDR had, for the most part, good sides. Life there was

happier and better than in reunified Germany today.'" (07/03/09)

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,634122,00.html