East German identity in change: Influencer Olivia Schneider reports

East German identity in change: Influencer Olivia Schneider reports

Dresden, Deutschland - In recent years, the discussion about East German identity and political developments in East Germany have intensified. A remarkable voice in this debate is 29-year-old Olivia Schneider, who caused a sensation in 2023 with her viral reel "La Ostdeutsche Vita" as an Eastern Fluencer. On her Instagram account @tumvlt she gives an insight into her everyday life that extends from visits to her grandma in Pirna to her passionate mustardier. Growing up in the picturesque Saxon Switzerland, she was drawn to Dresden for her art studies, where she later also studied social work.

Olivia has always dealt with the political situation due to her courses. During her art studies, she founded the Dresden police class collective, which critically examines the police law in Saxony. In her thesis on social work, she dealt with unemployment in East Germany. Today she works as a social worker with mentally ill people and travels through East Germany in her free time to document both the positive and the negative sides of this region.

a controversial image of identity

East German identity is a controversial topic. It is often seen as an expression of a resistance to West German dominance, or its existence itself is questioned. Olivia Schneider clearly comments against the occupation of the term by right -wing groups and emphasizes how important it is to make other perspectives visible. Their message that it is necessary to hear the votes that traditionally pushed into the background resonates in a society that increase in right -wing populist ideologies. According to Youth strategy , elections in Thuringia and Saxony have shown that the AfD received well over 30 percent of the votes, which further increases the concerns about political division.

historical and economic reasons are central to the right rate in the east. The trustee has played a crucial role in economic transformation, with over 85 percent of the former people's ownership being sold to West Germans. The high unemployment and the low wages are still urgent topics. This regional inequality increases susceptibility to radical ideologies and ensures a deeply anchored loss of identity. A significant part of the population identifies themselves strongly with the region, especially among the older citizens, which shows that the question of East German identity is still relevant, even if younger generations are increasingly distance.

olivia in the digital world

Olivia Schneider also uses the podcast "And what does the university do?" To share their experiences in Dresden and give tips for summer in East Germany. Moderators such as Christoph Farkas and Charlotte Köhler support you in drawing a varied picture of the region. The next podcast will be released on July 8th. Here it also becomes clear how social identities in East Germans are shaped by the past and the exams of the present. The media representation of the East Germans is often negative and often leads to a feeling of devaluation, as a study by the Federal Center for Political Education

Although there are challenges, Olivia Schneider brings a breath of fresh air to the discussion about East German identity. It shows that the view of East Germany is complex and shaped by contradictions. Your voice is not only a reflection of your own experiences, but also a call for the recalculation and change of perspective in the current debate.