Frauenmangel

Reposting an earlier entry with new data.

Germany's demographic decline is accelerating and two trends in particular stand out. First there is a huge "brain drain" as young, talented men and women leave the country -- most heading for Switzerland or the U. S. [read it here]. And in eastern Germany, there is a dearth of women. Miss Eastern Germany, Svetlana Tsys [pictured], is just one of the tens of thousands of young women who have left impoverished eastern Germany for careers in the west. According to Der Spiegel [here] the resulting lack of women has fueled the rise of neo-Nazi movements in the east.

Interesting [and, of course, a good excuse to run a picture of the beauteous Miss Germany].

UPDATE:

The Economist comments:

A NEW disease is abroad in eastern Germany: Frauenmangel, lack of women. In some towns there are only 75 young women for every 100 young men. In one or two there are as few as 40...

The few women who stay prefer single parenthood to hitching themselves to useless partners—benefits for single mothers are generous. It is women who are now masters of their destinies. The study, which combines reportage with figures, tells of frustrated gangs of youths drinking outside supermarkets and sleeping on their loading ramps.

What can be done? Eastern Germany is now a laboratory for the rest of Europe, says Mr Klingholz, since other places are starting to see the same phenomenon... And the most fertile ground for the extreme-right NPD is now in places with a shortage of women, not high unemployment.

Read the whole thing here.

UPDATE:

Orrin Judd notes [here]:

There's a traditional way of dispensing with excess men and it jibes nicely with German history.

Be afraid..., be very afraid.