Lost in Transition? Building Housing for Soviet Soldiers Returning from Germany, 1990-1996

Abstract

At the beginning of the 1990s, the soldiers of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG) were gradually withdrawn from the former German Democratic Republic. At this time, the Russian Federation and the German State were negotiating two important issues related to the troops’ pullout. Firstly, on which territories would the 340,000 men of the GSFG be housed? And secondly, who would finance the construction of housing for these soldiers? Considering the financial challenge of its imperial withdrawal, the Russian Federation sought German assistance. This article explores the diplomatic and material aspects of the housing issue and how its settlement reveals the challenges of the post-Cold War balance of power in Europe.