The german lands east of the river Elbe have been different from the western parts of Germany for more than a 1000 years. In the historical record you see a pr

The german lands east of the river Elbe have been different from the western parts of Germany for more than a 1000 years. In the historical record you see a pretty sharp change in marriage patterns,land ownership and political structure when crossing the Elbe. The enlightenment was less influential in the rural estates of the ultra conservative east elbian Junkernklasse than it was in the more densely populated Rhineland regions. Fukuyama has a nice chapter on the matter in “The Origins of Political Order”. On top of that you have the separation, and the dislike of the GDR to foster critical thinking and the economic collapse of the east after reunification that lead to a lot of brain drain.