Treuhandanstalt, often shortened to Treuhand, was the name of an institution established by the former West German government shortly before German reunification; it existed between 1990 and 1994. Its purpose was to act as trustee for many former East German factories and businesses, either reinstating former private ownership or helping former state-owned facilities that had been reprivatised cope with the numerous problems they would encounter when dealing with a free market for the first time.
What began with good intentions soon turned sour as its effectiveness and trustworthiness was called into question. Not only were there claims of misjudgement, but more and more evidence also emerged that some individuals within the organisation were involved in bribery and embezzlement. This resulted in numerous court cases and ultimately the dissolution of the Treuhandanstalt itself.
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