[Children--really why not... Results of a representative survey in East and West Germany]

The topic "wish to get a child" is of interest in scientific research for several reasons. One reason is the dramatic drop in the birth rate ibn Eastern Germany following reunification between 1990-1995, one other reason is the declining birth rate as a constant fact in Germany as a whole. Resulting from this demographic phenomenon the question was to detect the determinants of wish to get a child and their positive or negative influences regarding the realization. To answer this question we developed an theoretical model which focussed the decision process. This model was tested in a representative survey in 1999. This article presents some first results of the study. The main finding was that the wish to get a child is very strongly influenced by emotional aspects.