Anne stuck out her tongue in embarrassment after hearing the comment. As a wizard who had only graduated from magic school a few years ago, she wasn't exactly the picture of professionalism, she still carried herself more like a student.
Trying to gather her thoughts and calm her nerves, she continued, "The wizarding world in Germany is basically divided the same way as the Muggle world, into East Germany and West Germany, following the national border."
She paused briefly, then went on. "As for the Floo Network between East and West Germany, it's not fully connected, kind of like how it works between different countries. You already know that the Floo Network can't directly connect across national borders."
Alex nodded in understanding. He was aware that in Europe, the Floo Network isn't integrated between countries due to diplomatic concerns.
In the wizarding world, the boundaries between magical territories often follow the Muggle ones, but not always. For instance, although Spain and Portugal are two separate countries in the Muggle world, their wizarding communities function as one.
Similarly, while Ireland and the UK are politically distinct, their magical governance sometimes overlaps. The same goes for the Nordic countries, though Muggles see them as three separate nations, their wizarding world is unified under the Norwegian Ministry of Magic.
Still, most magical jurisdictions do follow Muggle national borders. That's largely because cultural and language differences often align with Muggle divisions, and many wizards today are Muggle-born, so it makes sense for magical boundaries to reflect the Muggle map.
Another major reason is the International Statute of Secrecy. The Ministry of Magic in each country must coordinate with its respective Muggle government to uphold secrecy and protect Muggle leaders. This close cooperation makes it practical for each government to have its own Ministry of Magic.
The reason why the Nordic countries share one ministry is mostly due to their similar languages, shared culture, and relatively small populations. But it's also a reminder of how fragile magical governance can be. For example, Grindelwald's rise to power after World War I was largely due to the rapid changes in national borders.
As Germany expanded and annexed nearby regions, many Ministries of Magic suddenly found themselves without a corresponding Muggle government to coordinate with. That lack of structure made it easier for chaos to spread, leaving many magical authorities in a difficult and powerless position.
You could ask whether the German Ministry of Magic would accept someone directly, just like the Muggle governments did at the time, take Belgium, for example, which was invaded and suffered greatly during that period.
Surely, the German Ministry of Magic must have considered the situation carefully back then, and whatever excuse they gave probably sounded reasonable. But countries that had lost territory in the Muggle world weren't as willing to cooperate, which naturally led to conflict.
In fact, there were a lot of disagreements among the wizarding communities across different countries at the time, and some wizards even got involved in the Muggle wars.
That's when the International Confederation of Wizards stepped in. They urged the European Ministries of Magic to stay neutral and avoid getting too close to Muggle leaders.
Their main concern was that too much interaction might risk exposing the wizarding world. To prevent wizards from being dragged into Muggle conflicts, the Confederation issued strict orders: wizards were to stay hidden and cut all ties with the non-magical world. Honestly, it was kind of a blanket solution that didn't sit well with everyone.
Many wizards weren't happy with this decision. A lot of them were Muggle-born or had Muggle friends, partners, or family.
Even some pure-bloods were upset, especially those whose families had made their fortunes through dealings with Muggles. Being forced to completely cut off contact caused a lot of frustration, and it was in that climate of dissatisfaction that Grindelwald started gaining followers. He appealed to those who didn't want to keep hiding and dreamed of living openly in the world. Eventually, he trained a loyal army.
Grindelwald openly defied the International Confederation's orders. He made contact with the German government of the time and even tried to help the Muggle leadership by using magic, specifically potions, to create enhanced soldiers. With his followers, known as the "Followers of the Greater Good" or the "Saints," he carried out terrorist attacks, all aimed at exposing the wizarding world to Muggles. That reckless ambition brought down the full force of the wizarding authorities. Eventually, he was captured and imprisoned.
Looking back, if Grindelwald hadn't been so extreme in his methods and goals, some of his ideas might have had a chance. But because of the chaos he caused, the Ministries of Magic around the world learned their lesson. Since then, they've been much more cautious and avoid getting into conflicts just because of changes in the Muggle world.
Now, decades later, Germany has been divided for over thirty or forty years. Alex remembers that the German Democratic Republic (GDR) was founded in 1949, which means it's been nearly 40 years since then.
Even though Muggle Germany had been divided for years, Alex always assumed that the wizarding side of the country remained relatively unchanged. After all, he'd never heard of the German Ministry of Magic splitting into two separate organizations. But then Anne explained the situation to him.
"Technically, the German wizarding world is still under the unified control of the Ministry of Magic," she began, "but the internal conflicts have become pretty serious."
She went on to explain that the division between East and West Germany in the Muggle world had essentially turned them into enemies. That separation lasted for nearly four decades, and during that time, both sides saw the rise of multiple generations of Muggle-born wizards. Naturally, the hostility and tension from the Muggle world began to seep into the wizarding one.
"Even among pure-blood families," Anne added, "there are disagreements, some sided with East German Muggles, others with the West. It created a rift that wasn't there before."
At first, those divisions were minor. Most wizards believed the split wouldn't last long. Many thought unity would be restored soon enough, or at the very least, relations between East and West would eventually improve. After all, even countries like Ireland and Northern Ireland had their differences and conflicts, but things gradually settled down over time.
"But who would have thought?" Anne sighed. "Decades have passed, and there's still no sign of reunification."
Being from East Germany herself and a half-blood wizard, the issue felt deeply personal. She'd been born into a divided country, and now, after all these years, nothing had changed.
Alex quietly shook his head as he listened. The idea that Germany had been at odds with itself for so long wasn't surprising, especially considering how different the ideologies of East and West had been in the Muggle world. It made sense that these divisions would bleed into the wizarding community as well, especially after two full generations had grown up under the split.
"So, the Floo Network ended up being separated too? Like they're two completely different countries now?" Alex asked, a bit exasperated. Wizards really didn't seem to catch a break.