Who still laughs at Zone Gabby?

In November 1989, the satire magazine Titanic featured the "Zonen-Gaby" on its cover. It became the best-selling issue and a symbol of the West German attitude towards the East. Misunderstandings have persisted to this day. What needs to happen for stereotypes to be overcome and a fresh start to be possible? Journalist Nicole Zepter examines in this book the largely untold period of change for West Germans. The satirical invention of "Zonen-Gaby" ultimately reveals less about the reality in the East and more about the societal identity of the Federal Republic of Germany in the years 1989/90. It is high time for an encounter on equal footing. The reunification. A miracle in Germany! And the West Germans, who had neither risked their lives for a revolution nor lived under a dictatorship, reacted with fear and disappointment, often on a superficial level: "What do they look like? Now they're taking our money too!..." A highlight was certainly the invention of "Zonen-Gaby" with the Titanic headline "My First Banana." Why did the West react so mockingly, why is there still a lack of recognition from West to East, and how can prejudices be overcome? Nicole Zepter, former editor-in-chief of Neon, talks with West Germans about their experiences during the transition, attempts to find the causes for the oversights, and demonstrates that it is not too late for reconciliation.