It is common knowledge that Soviet-era Russian words were adapted for use in the lexicon of former communist East Germany – the GDR, just as Americanisms abounded in West Germany. However, following reunification these words largely lost their meaning and function, and nowadays sound strange to modern German-speakers from eastern Germany. READ MORE: How the German language differed between East and WestBut this does not mean that language became immediately standardised as soon as the wall fell. Media depiction of eastern Germany, particularly by outlets based in western cities, has often been damaging and generalising, harming eastern Germans’ self-image. In response, former East Germans coined the term ‘Jammerossi’ (‘East German whinger’), pejoratively referring to those who criticised the difficulties and hardships of adapting to reunification.

Source: The Local July 21, 2021 15:11 UTC