# How Much Did east Germany Cost? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 17, 2016, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-did-east-germany-cost/743407 "2016-01-17T15:48:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![botsgotme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@botsgotme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/botsgotme)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-did-east-germany-cost/743407/1 "2016-01-17T15:48:35Z")
When the Berlin wall fell, Germany made arrangements to absorb the former DDR (East Germany). It was an effectively bankrupt country, and the German Government had to assume control of thousands of bankrupt industrial enterprises (firms like Zeiss, Jena, the outfit that made those lousy Trabant cars, etc.). I recall that then Chancellor Kohl estimated it would cost $82 billion. How much did it ultimately cost? Is the absorption of 1.3 million refugees on the same scale? ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-did-east-germany-cost/743407/2 "2016-01-17T16:43:47Z")
I have seen estimates from $100 billion to over a trillion. Its not really all that easy; remember some of the costs were self-imposed, the Western Germans sold some industrial concerns for pennies on the dollar, and then found themselves having to suppor the recently redundant workforce. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-did-east-germany-cost/743407/3 "2016-01-17T16:45:21Z")
According to [this article:](http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/interview-with-former-german-finance-minister-germans-will-have-to-pay-a-785704-3.html) > [@](#): > > Over a period of 20 years, German reunification has cost €2 trillion, or an average of €100 billion a year. That’s \> $2T. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-did-east-germany-cost/743407/4 "2016-01-17T18:02:24Z")
On the other hand they didn’t need to spend as much money on defense. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-did-east-germany-cost/743407/5 "2016-01-17T20:53:18Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > I have seen estimates from $100 billion to over a trillion. > > Its not really all that easy; remember some of the costs were self-imposed, the Western Germans sold some industrial concerns for pennies on the dollar, and then found themselves having to suppor the recently redundant workforce. That’s a good point. Some of the cost was indeed voluntary, or at least "not necessary’. But the German government wanted to accelerate the equalization of the two parts and so the West was taxed rather heavily to subsidize the East. They didn’t HAVE to do that. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-did-east-germany-cost/743407/6 "2016-01-17T20:58:47Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > On the other hand they didn’t need to spend as much money on defense. Yes. Since that time until now, it probably is a net gain. It’ll be a piss in the pond compared to Korea if that ever comes to pass.