For a detailed discussion of the events which led to the unification of Germany and of the problems resulting from "generous" conversion rate of the
East German mark and the wholesale take-over of western Germany's legal and institutional framework see OECD, Economic Survey of Germany, 1990 and 1991.
His turnover in 1983 had been 1.5 million
East German marks. This had risen to 6.6 million by 1989.
The problem, it seems widely accepted, stems from the decision of then-chancellor Kohl to speed up unification by exchanging West German and
East German marks at near parity.
It shows my friends and me as we passed through the infamous Checkpoint Charlie to exchange worthless old
East German marks for bottles of champagne.
There were Yemeni and Iranian riyals; Kuwaiti and Iraqi dinars; West and
East German marks; United States and Fijian and Maria Theresa dollars; zlotys; rubles; rupees; shekels; Ecuadorean sucres; Mexican and Chilean pesos; French and Swiss francs; British, Turkish, and Egyptian pounds.
Given the partly conflicting targets of minimizing the risk of inflation, strengthening the competitive position of the East German business sector, containing budgetary cost and satisfying the high expectation of East German population, the rates for converting
East German marks into D-Marks were seen as a compromise (general conversion rate for financial assets and liabilities of one D-Mark for two East Marks, preferential rate of 1:1 for limited amounts of private savings and for contractual payments such as salaries, wages and rents).
Market participants feared that the conversion of
East German marks into West German marks would result in a worrisome increase in German monetary aggregates or unleash pent-up demand for German products.
Sales were based on
East German marks at a supposed exchange rate of 1.3 or less.