[aguaviva]

Well yeah I was being slightly polemic in my narrative, if you will. And of course there were varying opinions on all sides of the former border.

But being as the issue was decided by Bundestag, that would mean it was ultimately decided by Wessis, by definition. Largely on the basis of it a "symbol of the Dictatorship" (and as a snub to Gysi) and all that. And as far as public opinion in the East was concerned -- I don't know if it's the last word on the matter, but we do have this one poll result at least:

   Nach einer Umfrage der Zeitschrift «Super Illu» lehnen 60 Prozent der befragten Ostdeutschen einen Palast-Abriss ab, weil damit «wieder ein Stück DDR-Geschichte plattgemacht wird». Zugleich sprach sich die Mehrheit aber für eine dauerhafte Grünfläche anstelle der historischen Schlossfassade aus. Befragt worden waren 1005 Menschen in den neuen Ländern. (tso/dpa)

https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/bundestag-stimmt-endgulti...

[nosianu]

> Zeitschrift «Super Illu»

That tabloid is hardly representative!

[aguaviva]

Right, but as the matter was never put for the locals to vote on (either through the Senat or directly) that's all we have to go on.