Vocabulary:

The term Treuhandanstalt stands for an institution established by the former West German government after German reunification in 1990. Its purpose was to act as trustee for many former East German firms and facilities, either re-instating former (private) ownership or helping the former state-owned and then reprivatized facilities cope with various starting problems on the unknown capitalist market.

The huge amounts of money used gave reason for many public discussions, and some people say that the whole program to rebuild the eastern part of Germany (the so-called 'Aufbau Ost') has ruined Germany and is responsible for its economic losses and financial problems during the last years.