Westdeutscher

Westdeutscher is a German demonym and adjective used to describe people and things from West Germany. Grammatically, it is formed from West- (west) and Deutscher (German); the masculine form is Westdeutscher, the feminine Westdeutsche, and the plural Westdeutsche. Historically, the term referred to residents of the Federal Republic of Germany during the period of German division (roughly 1949 to 1990), in contrast to Ostdeutscher for residents of the German Democratic Republic. In this usage, Westdeutscher appeared in political discourse, journalism, and sociological writing to distinguish Western-aligned West Germany from East Germany and its state-controlled system. The label underscored differences in politics, economy, and society between the two states, including West Germany's integration with Western Europe and the United States.

Since reunification, the term has largely fallen out of everyday use as a demographic descriptor. More neutral alternatives such as “Person aus Westdeutschland” or simply references to West Germans are used in contemporary contexts. In present-day German, colloquial terms like Wessi have emerged to contrast West Germans with Ossies (East Germans) in informal speech, though these terms carry informal or informal-sociolinguistic nuances. The concept of Westdeutscher remains relevant in historical analysis and studies of regional identity within the postwar Federal Republic.

Related terms include Ostdeutscher and discussions of West German identity in Cold War contexts.