What Is the German Reunification Timeline?

The German reunification timeline shows how East and West Germany, once split during the Cold War, became one country again. This important change, known as the expansion of the Federal Republic of Germany, began on November 9, 1989, with the fall of the Berlin Wall, and was completed on October 3, 1990. During this time, big political, social, and economic changes took place, leading to the end of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) as a separate nation. Its states became part of a united Germany.

German reunification was much more than just a political agreement. It ended a division that had kept Germans apart, both physically and in their ways of thinking, for over 40 years. The whole process was driven by the will of the people and careful discussions between world leaders. October 3rd became German Unity Day, a national holiday. The events in this timeline cover the main dates, key agreements, and the important people who played a part in bringing the two Germanys together again.

Important Steps Toward Reunification

Post-War Split and Creation of East and West Germany

Germany’s split started right after World War II ended. The German military surrendered completely, and there was no central government. The Allies (the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union) took control and divided Germany into four parts, as set out in the Potsdam Agreement on August 2, 1945. Each power ruled their own area. Berlin, even though it was in the Soviet area, was also divided.

The relationship between the Soviet Union and the other Allies soon grew tense. In March 1948, the Soviets left the Allied Control Council, and then blocked access to West Berlin. At that time, creating a single German state was not possible. As a result, the US, British, and French zones joined to form the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) on May 23, 1949. Later, in October 1949, the Soviets created the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). Both countries had different governments and different friends around the world, which kept them apart for decades.

Major Changes Between 1949 and 1989

For over forty years, East and West Germany stood on different sides of the Cold War. West Germany, with Bonn as its capital, was a democracy and joined NATO in 1955. East Germany, with East Berlin as its capital, was communist and joined the Warsaw Pact in the same year. The border between them was tightly guarded, especially after the Berlin Wall was built in 1961. The Wall became a symbol of division and stopped people from moving freely.

In the late 1960s, West German leader Willy Brandt started Ostpolitik, a policy to improve relationships with East Germany and other Eastern European countries. In the early 1970s, both Germanies recognized each other and joined the United Nations. However, East Germany gave up the idea of reunification in 1974. Many West Germans did not support reunification either, as they worried it might bring back dangerous nationalism or disrupt peace in Europe. Still, hopes for reunification never disappeared.

Peaceful Revolution in East Germany

In the late 1980s, change began thanks to reforms led by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. His policies gave Eastern European countries more freedom. In East Germany, leader Erich Honecker strongly opposed these changes and banned some Soviet materials. But change could not be stopped.

On May 2, 1989, Hungary opened its border with Austria, making it possible for East Germans to escape to the West. During the Pan-European Picnic on August 19, 1989, many East Germans used this path to flee. As more people left, mass protests started in cities like Leipzig. This movement, called the “Peaceful Revolution,” grew and pressured East German leaders, eventually leading to Honecker being replaced.

The Berlin Wall Comes Down

The drive for freedom reached its peak on November 9, 1989, when the Berlin Wall fell. This happened after an official, Günter Schabowski, mistakenly said in a news conference that East Germans could go to the West “immediately,” though that was not the official plan. People gathered at the border crossings, and confused guards opened the gates. Thousands of East Germans crossed into West Berlin, and celebrations broke out. The fall of the Wall was a powerful sign that the Cold War division was ending and that reunification was close.

Main Steps in Reunification

The Two Plus Four Treaty

With the Berlin Wall gone, preparations for reunification moved quickly. The four Allies from the Second World War (US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union) still had special rights in Germany. To solve these issues, talks began in March 1990, known as the “Two Plus Four” negotiations (the two German states plus the four Allies). They discussed Germany’s military future, national borders, and the withdrawal of Soviet troops. The Soviet Union wanted a neutral Germany, but West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and the Western Allies wanted Germany to stay in NATO. The final agreement, called the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany or the “Two Plus Four Treaty,” was signed on September 12, 1990. It gave united Germany full independence, confirmed its borders, and set a timetable for Allied troops to leave, with the last Russian soldiers leaving in August 1994.

Economic and Monetary Union

After the Wall fell, East Germany’s struggling economy became clear. Many East Germans left for better lives in the West. To help, a quick plan was needed to join the two economies. On May 18, 1990, a treaty was signed to begin economic and social union, and it took effect on July 1, 1990. The West German Deutsche Mark became the official currency in East Germany. Many West German rules and laws were now applied in the East, helping narrow the gap between both sides and making political unity possible.

Signing the Unification Treaty

With economic changes underway and international agreements in progress, a legal plan for joining the two Germanies was needed. On August 23, 1990, East Germany’s Parliament voted to join the Federal Republic of Germany under Article 23 of the West German constitution. After this, a treaty laying out the terms for reunification was negotiated and signed on August 31, 1990.

This treaty was approved by both parliaments on September 20, 1990, and went into effect on September 29, 1990. With this, East Germany stopped existing as a separate country.

Reuniting Berlin

For over 40 years, Berlin had been a divided city. West Berlin was deep inside East Germany but was linked to West Germany. With reunification, both parts of Berlin came together as one city on October 3, 1990, becoming a city-state like Hamburg and Bremen. Only after the Two Plus Four Treaty fully took effect in March 1991 did Berlin become the official capital of a united Germany. Joining the two parts of the city meant major changes in city planning and services.

Official Date of Reunification: German Unity Day

Germany became one country again at midnight (00:00 CEST) on October 3, 1990. The German flag was raised at the Brandenburg Gate, and East Germany formally joined the Federal Republic. Five states from the East – Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia – rejoined, after having been dissolved in 1952 and reestablished in 1990. October 3rd became German Unity Day, the new national holiday, replacing earlier holidays from both the East and the West. November 9th, the day the Wall fell, was not chosen due to its association with the 1938 Kristallnacht pogrom.

Timeline of German Reunification: Main Dates and Events

Timeline of Key Events (1945-1990)

Main People in German Reunification

Germany’s reunification happened both because of outside events and the actions of a few determined leaders. Their choices and persistence made a big difference.

Helmut Kohl’s Contributions

Helmut Kohl, as Chancellor of West Germany, was a main driving force behind reunification. He always believed in unity, even when many thought it was unlikely. After the Wall fell, he quickly announced a plan for closer cooperation and reunification. He also worked hard to solve economic problems in the East and made sure a united Germany would stay in NATO, which was a key point in discussions with the Soviets. His leadership was important in getting the Unification Treaty signed and making reunification happen on October 3, 1990.

Mikhail Gorbachev’s Role and the Importance of Diplomacy

Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet leader, helped make reunification possible. His reforms allowed more freedom in Eastern Europe, and he refused to use the Soviet military to stop changes in East Germany. He was at first against a united Germany in NATO, but eventually changed his mind, saying the Germans could choose their own future. This removed a huge obstacle. He worked together with Kohl and the West and accepted financial support to withdraw troops, allowing for a quick and peaceful reunification.

Learning from German Reunification

The Costs and Realities of Reunification

Bringing East and West Germany together cost a lot and brought many challenges. The government spent an estimated 1.5 to 2 trillion euros on reconstruction and support. West Germany covered most of the expenses, helped by a tax called the Solidarity Surcharge. The East German economy, much less developed than people realized, broke down, causing large job losses. Wages and pensions rose in the East, but unemployment stayed high. Some people in the East also felt treated as less important than those in the West, which became known as the “wall in the head.” Still, most Germans think reunification was a good thing; a 2019 study showed 89% of Germans supported it, and life satisfaction is now much higher than in 1991, though differences between regions remain.

How Reunification Changed German Identity

The end of division changed what it means to be German. Although the country is now unified, there are still cultural, economic, and social differences between East and West. Some stereotypes remain and some people from the East still feel like outsiders or identify more strongly as East German. But reunification has helped Germany become stronger and more respected in the world, taking West Germany’s place in international groups like the UN and NATO. Unlike other countries split by conflict, Germany managed to reunite peacefully. This has helped shape a new sense of national identity, even if the memory of division (“the wall in the head”) still lasts for some.