Introduction - Making sense of the transition from communism, David W. Lovell; Democratization and the development of civil society, David W. Lovell; State-transformation and postcommunist democratization, Ulrika Jerre; Direct democracy in postcommunist states - institutions and experiences since 1989, Michael B tzer; Corruption, trust, and the danger to democratization in the former Soviet Union, Donald Bowser; Political culture in contemporary Russia - trapped between glory and guilt, Andreas Langenohl; Between two historic models of modernization - the case of Azerbaijan, Etibar Najafov; Building capitalism in Poland - some paradoxes, Maria Nawojczyk; German democracy and its East German discontents, Uta L. Schaub; Conclusion - The transition as a return to Europe, David W. Lovell and Heinz-Ewe Haus.
