The situation was one of postwar growth (as elsewhere), aided by debt forgiveness and the Marshall Plan, with incorporation of Bismarckian social insurance institutions. Saying "we were better off then" is a commonplace -- others think that of the postwar development of their countries too (France, Britain, US, to name but those).

Erhard himself was a neo-liberal, credited with saying "The market is social". For a left-party leader to identify herself with him (if that is what Wagenknecht is doing) is unbelievable.

Of course, I realize that there is a widely-shared Erhard myth which credits him with the "miracle". In which case Wagenknecht is just trying to pull some of the Erhard halo on to her own head. And this can cast her remarks about money in a similar light, ie opportunistic use of commonly-accepted frames. For her own advancement...

This doesn't dispel my misgivings about the capacity of existing left-of-the-left parties to be of much use in bringing about major political change.