It is hypothesized in the fields of political education and citizenship studies that a discrepancy exists between the rhetoric of political education as expressed in official policy documents, guidelines, and curricula, on the one hand, and the reality of what happens in the classroom, on the other. This study tests this hypothesis in relation to the five new states created in 1990 in the eastern part of Germany on the territory of the former German Democratic Republic. Following German reunification, reform of political education in eastern German schools was considered necessary in this region and legislative changes introduced relating to the aims, content, teaching methodologies, and assessment criteria associated with this subject. This study investigates the extent to which these changes were actually implemented in the classroom. In addition, some conclusions are drawn regarding the management of change in political education in times of transition from dictatorship to democracy.