Post-War Division
After the end of the Second World War in 1945, a defeated Germany was divided into four occupation zones controlled by the Allied powers: the United States, France, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union. In 1949, two states emerged: the Democratic Federal Republic of Germany (BRG) in the West and the Socialist German Democratic Republic (GDR) in the east, the latter being under Soviet control. From this point on, Germany was divided.
Restrictions and Surveillance
The citizens of East Germany were only allowed to travel west under strict conditions. The borders of the GDR were heavily guarded, and a massive wall was built around West Berlin, which belonged to the BRG, to prevent GDR citizens from leaving their country. People in the GDR lived in a surveillance state that was withdrawn from freedom of expression. Those who did not follow the line of the socialist regime were suspended.
Path to Reunification
In the late 1980s, the population increasingly rose against the government. The citizens longed for freedom and democracy that their neighbors enjoyed in the Federal Republic of Germany. In the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev’s reform policy provided an opportunity for change. In contrast to his predecessors, Gorbachev refrained from using military violence to suppress protest movements in the GDR and other Eastern Bloc countries. In 1989, a wave of peaceful demonstrations swept through East German cities, which ultimately led to the fall of the Berlin Wall, paving the way for reunification between East and West Germany.
German Unity Day
The opening of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, was the turning point for reunification. However, this specific date is more associated with tragedy than celebration in German history, as it marks the night when the Nazis burned synagogues, destroyed Jewish companies and houses, and murdered and arrested Jewish people. For this reason, October 3 was selected as the new national holiday, the day in 1990 when reunification was officially completed because the GDR officially merged with the Federal Republic of Germany.
Celebrations
Germans celebrate Unity Day relatively quietly. While some cities organize events, open houses, and smaller celebrations, there are no grand festivities or nationwide fireworks. One of the states hosts a larger official festival every year on October 3, usually in its state capital, with a theme that includes entertainment, art, culture, culinary specialties, and democratic exchange.
Monument to Freedom and Unity
Despite plans for a "Monument to Freedom and Unity" decided upon by the German Parliament in 2007, the construction has been delayed due to disputes between the commissioned companies and the responsible government institutions. The idea was to install a 50-meter-long, accessible structure in front of the Humboldt Forum in the center of Berlin, symbolizing democracy through an interactive platform that moves in the direction of the majority’s movement. As of now, the monument remains unfinished.
Unity Today
Despite political efforts, a recent survey shows that Germany has not yet completely overcome its division. Only 35% of those surveyed believe that the East and West have "largely grown together." The different perceptions of the respondents seem to confirm the gap, with varying beliefs on whether the Germans have become one people since 1990. The feeling of belonging reached its highest point in 2019, but there is still a perceived difference between the two former countries, particularly in terms of wages, pensions, and prosperity.
