Analysis of convergence process of East German economy on the base of a two-region growth model

The main purpose of the paper is to analyse the speed of regional convergence of unified Germany on the basis of a two-region growth model with public productive spending. The model explains the dynamics of convergence, taking into account high fixed wages in East Germany, recent dynamics of public productive spending, government subsidies for private investments and a structure of human capital in both parts of Germany. The paper detects a new possible cause of the recent halt of East German economic convergence, namely the influence of pre- unification educational infrastructure dynamics. Using the model, we estimate numerically different reform strategies, which have the goal to increase the speed of convergence.East Germany Ostdeutschland convergence fixed wages education two-region growth human capital collateral unemployment infrastructure traffic trade union subsidies employers organisation