Gerhard A. Ritter is professor emeritus at the University of Munich and has been visiting professor at Washington University, St Louis, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Oxford, and the University of Tel Aviv. A former chairman of the Association of German Historians, he is the author of numerous books on social and political history and the history of the welfare state.

essential reading for those interested in the recent history of Germany. It also makes an important contribution to the debate about the viability of 'welfare states' in Europe at a time when they are threatened by deregulation, ageing populations and new patterns of work.

• Preface ; Introduction ; PART I: GERMAN UNITY: THE FRAMEWORK ; 1. The political framework ; 2. German unity and social policy: the legal framework ; 3. The German economy and the process of unification ; 4. The social structure and expectations from social policy ; PART II: THE CREATION OF THE SOCIAL UNION ; 5. The central features of the social union; the legislation and institutions governing social policy in the Federal Republic and the GDR compared ; 6. The social policy of the Modrow government ; 7. The State Treaty on monetary, economic and social union ; 8. The social legislation of the de Maiziere government ; 9. The Unification Treaty ; 10. The social policy actors and the unification process ; PART III: CHANGES TO THE GERMAN WELFARE STATE AFTER GERMAN UNIFICATION, 1990-1994 ; 11. The build-up of welfare-state institutions and providers in the new Bundeslander ; 12. The debates on Germany's economic position and on the problems in financial and social policy resulting from German unity ; 13. Social policy and its actors, 1991-1994 ; Concluding reflections ; Appendix ; Notes ; Sources and bibliography ; Glossary of terms and abbreviations ; The principal actors in the process of German unification ; Index

Gerhard A. Ritter is professor emeritus at the University of Munich and has been visiting professor at Washington University, St Louis, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Oxford, and the University of Tel Aviv. A former chairman of the Association of German Historians, he is the author of numerous books on social and political history and the history of the welfare state.

essential reading for those interested in the recent history of Germany. It also makes an important contribution to the debate about the viability of 'welfare states' in Europe at a time when they are threatened by deregulation, ageing populations and new patterns of work.

• Preface ; Introduction ; PART I: GERMAN UNITY: THE FRAMEWORK ; 1. The political framework ; 2. German unity and social policy: the legal framework ; 3. The German economy and the process of unification ; 4. The social structure and expectations from social policy ; PART II: THE CREATION OF THE SOCIAL UNION ; 5. The central features of the social union; the legislation and institutions governing social policy in the Federal Republic and the GDR compared ; 6. The social policy of the Modrow government ; 7. The State Treaty on monetary, economic and social union ; 8. The social legislation of the de Maiziere government ; 9. The Unification Treaty ; 10. The social policy actors and the unification process ; PART III: CHANGES TO THE GERMAN WELFARE STATE AFTER GERMAN UNIFICATION, 1990-1994 ; 11. The build-up of welfare-state institutions and providers in the new Bundeslander ; 12. The debates on Germany's economic position and on the problems in financial and social policy resulting from German unity ; 13. Social policy and its actors, 1991-1994 ; Concluding reflections ; Appendix ; Notes ; Sources and bibliography ; Glossary of terms and abbreviations ; The principal actors in the process of German unification ; Index