New federal states: performance more important than enjoyment of life

Today, East German citizens are orientated towards life goals that were characteristic of West Germans in the 1950s and 1960s - even before the leisure-oriented change in values. East Germans cannot (yet) afford a post-material life orientation. Life goals such as "achieving something", "earning a lot of money" and "creating wealth" are much more pronounced in the new federal states than in the West. For East Germans, achievement (68 %) takes precedence over enjoying life (58 %), while the majority of West Germans want to enjoy life (63 %) and prioritise material goals.

As the representative survey "Leisure Styles of Germans in East and West" published by the BAT Leisure Research Institute shows, there are also considerable differences between East and West Germans in their leisure behaviour. And this is of course due to the different economic situations, wealth and employment conditions. But that is not the only reason. Even if the material situation were the same, the West German leisure traveller has reached a point where he longs for more time and is even prepared to cut back on consumption. The citizens of the eastern federal states, on the other hand, have yet to enjoy what at first glance appears to be the promise of consumption-orientated leisure time.

Consumer prosperity versus time prosperity

As Prof Dr Horst W. Opaschowski, Scientific Director of the BAT Institute, explains, the majority of the West German population lives in material prosperity, but cannot afford one thing: to have time. Everyday leisure time in the West is increasingly characterised by hectic and stress, whereas East Germans have more time for themselves.

People in the new federal states are a long way away from an excess of time-consuming leisure activities. You could almost say that they still live in an idyllic leisure time with enough leisure time to look out of the window, write letters and spend time with their families. They are not rushed through the weekend by a calendar of appointments, nor are they forced to overexert themselves in their free time by prestige-orientated leisure activities.

The catch is that they do not (yet) appreciate this "prosperity". They still have the disappointing process of changing values from rigorous leisure-time consumption to the depressing realisation that time is running out. More prosperity does not automatically mean a better quality of life. One realisation of the BAT study: consumer prosperity and time prosperity are not to be had at the same time.

So while West Germans are beginning to long for more peace and quiet in their leisure time, the East German population will presumably give up their specific quality of life of leisure and tranquillity if they uncritically copy the West German style of consumption.

East Germans have more intact family contacts

Looking at the leisure styles of East and West in detail, there is a significant difference in the social orientation of life. For example, two thirds of the East German population (67 %) consider helping others to be particularly important in life. Only 50 per cent in the West share this opinion. Equally striking are the differences in the willingness to "talk about important things in the family". 49 per cent of East German respondents have done this "in the last few weeks or at the weekend", compared to only 30 per cent of West Germans.

Backlog in information and counselling

The survey also reflects the great lack of information in the East. People would like to know more about healthy eating, holidays and travel, living and furnishing, beauty and body care. Overall, advice is desired, especially on the subject of environmentally conscious leisure and travel behaviour or ideas for leisure activities.

Leisure time in East and West is also media time to almost the same extent. Germans as a whole watch television just as often. Newspapers and magazines, on the other hand, are read slightly more by East Germans, as are books. Telephoning, now a particularly popular leisure activity in West Germany, is mentioned less frequently in the East, which is hardly surprising given the low connection rate.

The leisure time gap between East and West widens in the area of leisure time consumption. This is where the wealth gap is particularly stark. The majority of the East German population has to limit itself to purely utilitarian consumption (63 %): 43 per cent can only afford "what is necessary to live"; a further 20 per cent have to save "because the household budget is just enough to cover daily needs". Only 35 per cent can allow themselves a moderate level of indulgent consumption. Here, people finally want to be able to afford things that make life more beautiful and enjoyable. And they don't have to be expensive or luxurious.

Learning from each other

In his analysis of the survey, Prof Opaschowski concludes that Germans in the East and West can learn from each other when it comes to leisure activities.

It would be wrong to compare the leisure styles in the old and new federal states. They each have their own independent profiles, which will sooner or later harmonise. For the future, and for both parts of Germany, the general trend towards a leisure-orientated lifestyle will only bring the desired quality of life and satisfaction if there is a balanced combination of money and time and thus of consumption and leisure.