Grassroots Reunification

Abstract Downwind from the massively polluting carbo-chemical facility at Espenhain, Mölbis became notorious through the 1980s as “the filthiest village in Europe.” Although East Berlin had slated it for demolition and resettlement, the village was rehabilitated immediately after 1989 into a charming exemplar that attracted outside investment. Thanks to continuous engagement by local actors before and after 1989, as well as knowledgeable help from Western experts about finance and reconstruction, Mölbis became a symbol of hope across the polluted industrial countryside south of Leipzig. Countering recent bestsellers that have reinforced stereotypes about rapacious Wessi carpetbaggers and passive Ossi victims, this article builds on decades of scholarship and a unique primary source base to illustrate the considerable success of German reunification at the grassroots level.