German universities: new development after the reunification of the country

During the period of unification universities of the GDR faced a very complicated process full of various conflicts: personal human tragedies, dramatic changes for higher educational establishments starting a new life after four decades of functioning in a highly politicized and ideological environment limiting or even totally controlling the intellectual and spiritual life of the society. The article analyses changes in the political sphere where democracy, right for choice required new mentality and independence of thought, academic freedoms made it necessary for academics, researchers and students to work autonomously and be responsible for taken decisions. The losses during this process were considerable. The changes affected not only higher educational establishments on the former GDR territory but also the Western German universities.