Actually, the German fear of the Russians was both heightened by propaganda--and totally justified, considering what the Nazis had done in Russia--and the revenge the Russians were taking as they moved West towards the end of the war.

What I thought was fascinating, from talking to lots of people in the 2 years I was there, was the poor reception some in the West gave to fellow Germans coming from the East. Maybe it was that before the Wirtschaftswunder, conditions in West Germany were bad--that's why US soldiers were kings for a while--and there wasn't much to share. So more mouths and more competition were not welcome--until the economy took off.

But it seems that West Germans still look at the "Ossi's" differently--I wonder if Wolfgang can comment on this--to confirm or deny--it's possible my sources aren't the best.