The trouble with East Germany is that it is dotted with 19th Century towns that have lost their reason to exist. The same thing happened to much of “small town middle America” in the last 70 years.
To make matters worse, much of the East is still suffering from the horrible ecological catastrophe known as communism. Terrible pollution with vicious toxic chemicals with take generations to erode through natural means.
However, this can be turned to the national advantage, by having the government buy up these ghost towns and their surroundings and converting them to nature conservatories. That is, to rebuild large forests instead of the tiny “volds” seen in the west.
Not as forest preserves, but as recreational forests that would not only help restore much of Germany’s depleted wildlife, but for national pride and enjoyment.
Then, after nature had cleaned up most of what the communists had contaminated, then they could start “sensible growth” back into those forests.
Yeah, and sell the carbon credits from those preserves to AlGore to fob off on his hollywood friends.