When Germany was one again

329 days after the fall of the Wall, the reunification of the two German states is complete on October 3, 1990:the GDR joins the Federal Republic - the day of German unity. There was a lot of controversy about the date.

The People's Chamber declares the accession of the GDR to the scope of application of the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany in accordance with Article 23 of the Basic Law with effect from October 3, 1990.

This is what the first freely elected GDR parliament decided on August 22, 1990, six weeks after monetary union with the introduction of the D-Mark, in a special session with 294 votes against 62 and seven abstentions. From the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989 to German reunification, it should only be a year, exactly 329 days.

People's Chamber:Tough struggle over accession date

A first Volkskammer vote had failed two weeks earlier, on August 8, 1990, due to the necessary two-thirds majority. The August 22 session is marked by bickering over how and when to join. Until late at night, the MPs struggled to find the right date - from the immediate accession on August 22nd to December 2nd, around 15 proposals had been made in the weeks before and are now dominating the debate again. The German Social Union (DSU), for example, wants to bury the "bankrupt company GDR" as quickly as possible. The camp consisting of, for example, the CDU and the Democratic Awakening (DA) is aiming for a date that is as late as possible in order to be able to negotiate disputed points with the Federal Republic before the merger. So the dispute about the date is about nothing less than the fight for the greatest chance of realizing social interests.

Day of German Unity:Why on October 3rd?

With its symbolic power, the date of the fall of the Wall would have been November 9th. However, since that day was already a reminder of the Night of Broken Glass in 1938, the date was quickly forgotten.

The result of the vote was not known until 2:47 a.m.:the existence of the GDR was to end on Wednesday, October 3, 1990 - one day after a conference of CSCE foreign ministers. They should be informed in advance about the merger of Germany. Therefore October 3rd is considered the earliest possible date for joining.

Reunification becomes a holiday for East and West

With reunification, a new, common national holiday for East and West was born at the same time:the Day of German Unity. Instead of June 17, which was a public holiday in the Federal Republic from 1954 to 1990 to commemorate the popular uprising in the GDR in 1953 as "Day of German Unity", this is now October 3 according to the Unification Treaty. On September 20, the GDR parliament and the German Bundestag approved the unification treaty, as did the Bundesrat a day later.

"Only peace will come from German soil"

Federal President Richard von Weizsäcker announced the entry into force of the Unification Treaty at precisely midnight on 3 October from the podium in the Schöneberg town hall in Berlin:"We want to complete the unity of Germany in free self-determination!" To ring the freedom bell, the federal German flag, the "flag of unity", is hoisted in front of the Reichstag. 45 years after the end of the Second World War, the Germans are once again united in a sovereign state. "Only peace will emanate from German soil in the future", is the message from Chancellor Helmut Kohl (CDU) to all governments of the world against this background and in the awareness of the skepticism of the world community:"That is why we have the final character of the borders of the united Germany confirms (...) We will not make any territorial claims against anyone in the future.

Hundreds of thousands of people stream through the city, to the Brandenburg Gate and to the Republic Square in front of the Reichstag building, chanting "Helmut! Helmut!" in the direction of Kohl, who is considered the maker of unity. It should be one of the biggest parties in Germany, which is just starting here. Around a million people celebrate in Berlin alone. There are also tens of thousands on the streets in other cities in Germany. Occasionally there are protests and riots.

German unity stirs up fears in East and West

Because whether before or after October 3rd:The reunification in 1990 is quite controversial - on both sides of the former border. Immediately after the announcement of the Volkskammer resolution in August, the then SED-PDS chairman Gregor Gysi regretted:"Parliament has just decided on no more and no less than the demise of the German Democratic Republic on October 3, 1990." And reaped applause from several parliamentary groups - and approval from broad sections of the population.

Instead of reunification or accession, many in the east - and also in the west - of Germany are talking about takeover or annexation:the west has swallowed up the GDR, integrated it into the capitalist system of the FRG. There is a great fear of losing one's identity, of being patronized and of not being able to keep up economically. Fears also prevail in the West:the end of division could mean having to share - and then doing without. Would the country of the former economic miracle survive so much financial solidarity? In spite of all doubts:The overarching goal of German unity was an integral part of the Basic Law since 1949 with the reunification commandment.

The end of the division further divides into "Ossis" and Wessis"

"After the stone wall, the walls in some people's minds still have to be dismantled," was Gysi's slogan after reunification. Despite all reservations, getting to know one another is part of becoming one. Broiler, nod, make it over - that's about the vocabulary that needs to be learned in the West. Winding down, rationalizing, unemployment - these are the terms that describe the new reality of the East Germans.

On the economic level in particular, many fears are said to remain justified - despite Kohl's promise of "blossoming landscapes". Irrespective of its ideal value, the costs of the unit, including the assumption of GDR liabilities, social benefits and the so-called construction of the East, increase to a multiple of the originally estimated 450 billion euros. Kohl's "We will not raise taxes in connection with German unity" becomes the permanent solidarity surcharge. Emigration of the population and vacancies in parts of eastern Germany mean that a number of economic efforts initially fail. A number of parts of the country lie fallow for years before they start to "blossom" again. In 2005, the unemployment rate in East Germany reached a high of 18.7 percent (West Germany:9.9 percent). Even today it is still permanently higher in the east than in the west.