In 1989 the political map of Europe changed radically. The first great change consisted in the fact that eastern Central Europe, with its complicated and dramatic history, became visible again. After liberating themselves from Russian domination, a belt of smaller countries reappeared between Russia and Germany. In spite of immense economic and political difficulties, it cannot be denied that the political changes in 1989 offered the eastern Central European states a unique historical opportunity. Having regained independence, they had the chance, a 'second chance", to become more stable and prosperous than they were between the two World Wars. If they are successful, eastern Central Europe will become a bit less eastern and a bit more central; the division between the western (that is Germany and Austria) and eastern part of Central Europe could, to a large extent, be removed.