On July 7, 2023, Jutta Günther attended the 30th JOE conference of the German Society for Eastern European Studies in Regensburg by invitation. After three decades of research on Eastern Europe "after the system break", the aim was to take stock: What developments in research on Eastern Europe and East Germany have there been? What is the role of research on Eastern Europe and Eastern Germany today? What framework conditions in terms of science policy and structure are necessary? These and many other questions were lively discussed with the participants - primarily doctoral students.

Jutta Günther has been working on economic issues related to the transformation in Eastern Europe since her studies (1994-99) and spent 12 years at the Halle Institute for Economic Research on research topics related to the unfinished economic adjustment process between East and West Germany. At the beginning of her doctoral studies, she attended one of the annual JOE conferences in the year 2000.