In 2021, Ufuk Akcigit received the Max Planck–Humboldt Research Award to launch a major research program investigating the persistent economic divide between East and West Germany. Combining newly opened historical archives, rich administrative microdata, and quantitative economic models, the project examines how the policies adopted during reunification shaped firms, employment, innovation, productivity, and the region’s long-run development. The research aims not only to deepen our understanding of German reunification, but also to draw broader lessons for economies undergoing major structural and institutional transformation. Learn more about the project, its findings, and related events at www.eastwestgermany.com