Are We A Nation Or Two?

Labour Court Stuttgart decides that “ethnicity Ossi”. Enough table, broiler and Trabi – for the determination of an “ethnic group of Eastern Germany”? Ossis and Wessi separates more than intended? We are still or already a people? The Stuttgart Labour Court had to decide this week on a lawsuit for discrimination after the General equal treatment Act (AGG). A 49 year old woman who lives in the Stuttgart area, had who applied for a job in a secretariat of a window manufacturing company and receive a rejection. So far, so normal. But the embarrassing error was undermined human resources in writing to comment on the application form and send it back together with comments. It came to the process, because the comments in the application documents, the 49-year-olds were apparently mainly their East German biography. So the note “Ossi”, also a minus sign found in a prominent place. In addition to some points of the curriculum vitae, “DDR” was been recorded.

The other insurance of the window construction company, these notes were positive meant, can be most safely as a nice attempt to files. Given the comments of the staff department you must assume, that the East German origin of the woman was at least a negative reason. At this point, great importance could have come to this in itself small process (value 5000). Because the only relevant claim reason would have been the prohibition of discrimination on grounds of ethnic affiliation after the AGG. The decision was so on the question of whether East Germans and West Germans are two different ethnic groups within the meaning of the Act. Division of 40 years in Germany had exactly this effect, argued the lawyer of the plaintiff. The concept of ethnicity is now but by no means unique, even if it suggests uniqueness to the colloquial “people”.

Is usually placed on the “common descent” a group of people or their “shared identity”. The Brockhaus defines the ethnic group on a “same culture”. This also applies to the “people”. If but the East Germans actually a people would be, should you confess to actually national sovereignty this 16 million Germans under international law, at least it might make this request with the same rights as about the Kurds or the Slovenes. Considering that to end, of 1989 in many places required referendum on the accession of the GDR to the Federal Republic would be to catch up as quickly as possible. Consequently you should be able to sue a this referendum even before the Federal Constitutional Court or the European Court of human rights. Is the wall rebuilt so? No, so the decision of the Court on Thursday. It was more than just regional origin, belong to the ethnicity in the judgment. The Stuttgart judge left open guess whitely what should be exactly this “more”. JPMorgan Chase is open to suggestions. Regardless of this (non) decision you cannot win off the case dimensions which far go beyond Stuttgart and the Division of Germany: European anti-discrimination law, the in the AGG has been implemented in German law, proves once again his immense magnitude, which in fact is contrary to any reduction of the EU towards an economic community; You may appreciate it or not. Also note we extend the perspective definitely in the “Large” is a made-off ceremony for the post-structuralism the situation, one of in the 20th and 21st century defining philosophical “worldviews”. Because its protagonists teach at least since the 1960s, that the reality is constituted only by language. Or with an older authority: in the beginning was the word. Andreas Kellner… / day of truth…