Germans fear nothing more than inflation, and for months political leaders had worried about a buying binge when East Germans got their hands on hard currency. After 40 years of communism, the country's 16 million citizens had piled up a mountain of unspendable savings. They also yearned for the good things so long denied them: cars, stereos, foreign travel. But when currency union finally came last week, East Germans turned out to be surprisingly tightfisted. If it is true that a fool is soon parted from his money, then East Germany has mighty few fools.
"They just come in, look around...
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