Gunther Markwardt BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg and TU Dresden   Erich-Weinert-Str. 1 Cottbus, 03046 Germany   gunther.markwardt@b-tu.de             JEL Areas: E3 : Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles: General (includes Measurement and Data) E6 : Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General