European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 17, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Of change and i Eastern Germany by Norm ze1cler travel outdoor writer More than a year ago the signs at the massive Leipzig rallies that finally toppled East Germany s communist dictatorship proclaimed that East germans and West germans were Quot one  but in travelling around the former East Germany it is evident that More than 40 years of forced separation have created differences that cannot be ignored or eliminated overnight some of the differences a such As outward appearance and mannerisms a Are evident at a glance. Others a such As attitude and ideological orientation a Are More Subtle. During a recent trip through the former workers and peasants state some of the most visible affects were on the health of the people. Decades of poor nutrition and a polluted environment have taken their toll. The people seem smaller less robust than their Western counterparts. Many look older than their years. The year round sunlamps Tan is virtually unknown. Sallow complexions and unhealthy skin Are commonplace. So Are bad Teeth. It some of the differences Are endearing. These Are the poor relatives. Their clothes Are grabber Bagger. Most Are Shyer More self effacing than their Western cousins. Many seem eager to talk to americans who Are still a Novelty in Many places v. Occasionally you encounter reticence or circumspection about some subjects. Decades of conditioning to watch Over their shoulders for the lurking presence of the minister rim fur  Stasi before speaking will not disappear by magic. In Sossnitz travel agent Siegfried Markow was Friendly and enthusiastic about describing the tourist Sites along the Baltic coast. But when he was asked about visiting nearby. Peene Munde where the nazis perfected the v-2 rockets and the former East German army had a base he became wary and noncommittal. Without visiting the Region it is difficult to imagine the Wrabness of life in what was East Germany. The contrast with Western Germany is shocking. The cities Are dirty and crumbling the air and water fouled by factories and smokestacks. Even in the Small towns once Lovely half timbered houses Are decaying and tumbledown. Paint is peeling Wood is rotting windows Are broken or missing. Quot everything was neglected Quot Markow said. Quot instead of building something our old government put the Money in their own  even the most Basic building materials were nearly impossible to obtain. The same was True of Home furnishings a bathroom and Kitchen fixtures appliances. In Lubenau one family whose House was in Good shape said the Only reason they had been Able to keep it up was because their son had connections in the construction Industry. He had been Able to obtain materials a paint Wood stucco by bribery and barter. We heard a similar Story in Ware where a woman proudly pointed to her Well kept 21/2-Story Home near the Shore of Lake Muritz. Quot you can t imagine the Energy it took. My husband has had three bypasses. He s  Central heating one of the comforts westerners take for granted was virtually unknown. Quot it was either impossible to get or insanely expensive Quot said Karin Wiessmer tourist director in Waren. Like 40 years ago in the West Many people still Stoke Coal stoves to keep warm. The dark sooty Mounds of Coal Are piled up on sidewalks and City streets. It All combined to beat Down the individual to instill a sense of resignation that is alien to Western thinking. The children Are the exception. They Are As Lively and spontaneous As youngsters anywhere. Many Are dressed in colourful stylish clothes As if the first thing the parents did with their new West Marks was outfit their kids in Chic Western fashion. V. Several elections have underscored Eastern Germany s. Support for reunification but revolutionary economic change and inevitable social upheaval have created. Continued on Page 12 top food vendors Are popular in Eastern Germany where variety was minimal in the past above one of the signs of change in Eastern Germany a amps photos by Gus Schuettler january 17, 1991 stripes Magazine 77