Mr Florian Read

I am currently researching east German attitudes towards life in post-unification Germany. My MPhil project is centred around the emotional atmosphere in the state of Thuringia between 1990 and 1994. It looks at the economic, political and, primarily, social climate during this time period. The research tries to contribute to the growing narrative that, in contrast with official narratives at the time, many east Germans found unification extremely challenging.

The main aim of my MPhil is to lay the groundwork for a PhD. After my Master's Degree I would like explore a connection between the unification process and modern-day political and social attitudes in east Germany. In order to tackle this research question, I must first get to grips with the political, social and economic situation in the early years after unification.