Disenchantment with Market Economics. East Germans and Western Capitalism

The fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of socialism in East Germany released pent up dreams and ambitions while at the same time quickly evaporating the myths and mystic of market economics. The book captures this unique moment in history through a thorough examination of largely unknown informal mechanisms of power in enterprises of the planned economy and their transformation. The experiences of workers, managers and new owners tell a complex story of adaptation and resistance to both systems. The focus is on how central planning, “socialist competition”, and party control contrast with corporate philosophies and disciplines in the market economy. Where Western managers saw the expansion of their businesses towards Eastern Europe as a civilizing mission, the much-anticipated freedom for East Germans was tempered by new ideologies, lay-offs and loss of personal autonomy in the workplace.