ABSTRACT
So far the authors have concentrated on the story of the unification of East and West Germany. While this must necessarily be the focus of attention, that drama is taking place in the context of a larger unification process, a quest for a united Europe. In 1987 the twelve member nations of the European Community passed the Single European Act, which aimed to formalize the creation of a “Europe without internal frontiers” by 31 December 1992. 1 The Act symbolized another major step toward European unity. Prior to the time the Act went into effect, The GDR had become a part of the Federal Republic of Germany, making it automatically a part of the Community. Brigid Laffan (1992) explains the consequences in the following way: “Put simply, there is a de facto enlargement of the Community, complicated by the fact that the economy of the GDR is not compatible with the economy of the other parts of the community.” Much of its social and political structure was also incompatible.
