Reunification Day

Tomorrow is a holiday in Germany (Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) which celebrates the reunification of East Germany with "West" Germany that occured on 3 October 1990. Interestingly enough the first unification was in 1871! They call it "Deutsche Einheit" or "German unity". My husband said his colleagues at work joked that it should be called St. Helmut's Day.

I found this map that highlights the divisions of Germany after WWII with respects to which allied force (country) had jurisdiction over what part of conquered Germany.

Until 1961 the borders to east and west Germany were open to all. Each day a half million people cross the borders. Then the leaders of the Communist party met in Moscow from August 3 until August 5, 1961 and they decide to close the open border between East and West Berlin. In the afternoon of August 12 at 4 p.m. Walter Ulbricht, the East German leader, signed the commands to close the border. The next Sunday at midnight the army, police and the "Kampfgruppen" began to bolt the city. The wall was built and separated the city into two parts for more than 28 years. Streets, the railway and the S-Bahn (city railway) were broken, stations of the U-Bahn (underground railway) were closed--even cemeteries. The East Germans would not be allowed to free travel to the West until 1989.

Basically, in 1989 Hungary opened it's borders, then people from Eastern Germany went through Hungary to West Germany. Afterwards there were demonstrations every Monday demanding changes. During a press conference, it was announced the borders were opened. Then people went through the gates on 9 Novemeber 1989 which led to people chipping down the wall, following which the political negotiations to unify was made.

The next May they started using the D-mark. On 3 October the official unification occured. Here are some pictures of Check point Charlie.

If you want to read more about the political history before and after the reunification, then go here.

Posted by Krista at October 2, 2006 09:05 PM