German Reunification

The German reunification indicates the events which, of October 1989 in October 1990 led to the integration of the German Democratic republic with the the Federal Republic of Germany. In German, these events are indicated by the words Wiedervereinigung (reunification) or Wende (turning) but the term being reproduced on the official texts is Beitritt DER GDR im Grundgesetz DER BRD (Entered from GDR the Fundamental law of FRG).

Division of Germany

The division of the Germany in German Federal republic and German Democratic republic goes back to 1949. In 1961, the government of GDR builds with Berlin a wall intended to prevent the escape of the inhabitants of East Germany towards the FRG. This wall, symbol of the division of Germany, will remain a narrowly supervised border and quasi seals until November 1989.

Chronology of the reunification

Popular movements in GDR

In 1989, in spite of the increasing social economic difficulties and to which the mode of GDR must face, the prospect for a reunification of both Allemagnes appears still remote. June 11th, 1989, the future chancellor Gerhard Schröder declares that the chances of a reunification are non-existent whereas the general secretary of the central committee of the SED, Erich Honecker, promises that the Berlin Wall will last 100 more years. However, since May 2nd, the border between the Hungary and the Austria is open and of many Easts Germany use this possibility to join the Federal republic.

The East-German popular discontent grows and on September 4th approximately 1200 people ravel with Leipzig to claim reforms and in particular freedom of circulation towards the West. It is the beginning of the “manifestations of Monday” ( Montagsdemonstrationen ) which will take place in several until March 1990 cities. Mikhaïl Gorbatchev had already indicated on July 6th that the Soviet Union would not intervene to repress the movements which agitate GDR. A turning is reached on October 9th, 1989 with the first true mass demonstration which brings together approximately 70.000 people always in Leipzig. Perhaps not to take the responsability for a blood bath, the local managers order with the various security forces (Stasi, Volkspolizei and NVA) not to stop the procession. Egon Krenz will state later personally to have given this order.

Consequently, the number of the demonstrators does not cease increasing to reach 120.000 on October 16th and the 320.000 23. October 18th, 1989, shortly after the celebrations of the fortieth birthday of GDR, Honecker is constrained to resign by the Politbüro which names Egon Krenz to succeed to him. The resignation of Honecker is not enough however to calm the demonstrators whose claims of reform of the political system took an increasingly nationalist turn meanwhile and include inter alia the reunification with the Federal republic. Finally, the Council of Ministers of GDR resigns on November 8th, 1989, followed by Politbüro on November 9th.

Fall of the Berlin Wall

In the evening of November 9th, 1989, at the end of a press conference transmitted on line by television, Günter Schabowski, member of the central committee of SED, announce with the general surprise the lifting of all the restrictions of voyage and the opening of the borders. At the time when the decision is diffused on television, the decision in fact would not have been definitively taken and the troops in charge of controls in all the cases was not prevented of the opening of the borders. Thousands of people mass at the stations of passage along the Berlin Wall. Around 11 p.m., the first border post to open its barriers is that of the Bornholmer Straße. The others follow quickly.

The way towards the unit

November 13rd, the Parliament of GDR ( Volkskammer ) elects Hans Modrow at the position of president. Gorbatchev declares that the reunification is a question which the Germans must settle between them. The mention of the particular role of the SED is withdrawn from the constitution, which potentially opens the way with free elections and a true capacity of the other political parties. Starting from December 7th, the new government directed by Modrow agrees to discuss with the new groups oppositions and the Churches in a “central roundtable”. Other “roundtables” are formed at the communal level. The principal demands of the opponents relate to the democratization of the mode, the behavior of free elections and the dissolution of the Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (Stasi). The German reunification is however not with the day order.

March 18th, 1990, are held of new elections for the Volkskammer of GDR. As much in the East that in the West, of many discussions relates to the calendar and the methods of a reunification. The victory of the conservatives of the Allianz für Deutschland (Alliance for Germany - coalition of three conservative parties of which the CDU of the East) decides in favor of a fast reunification by using article 23 of the Fundamental law of the Federal Republic of Germany. This article allowed a unilateral declaration of adhesion the scope of application of the fundamental law by a German Land or this one was not put into force in 1949.

In the night from August 22nd to 23rd 1990, the Volkskammer decided the declaration of adhesion with effect the October 3rd 1990. It is to be noticed that this date is unilaterally decided by the Parliament of GDR without consultation with the government or the Parliament of FRG.

Reunification

The methods of the reunification were laid down by the treaty of unification ( Einigungsvertrag ) signed in Berlin on August 31st, 1990 and ratified on September 20th by the Volkskammer with 299 against 80 votes and by the Bundestag of the West with 442 against 47 votes.

With the Treated 4+2, a peace treaty between the two German States and the four victorious powers of the Second world war (the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Soviet Union) signed in Moscow on September 12th, 1990, reunified Germany found its full sovereignty at the time of the reunification.

Lastly, a treaty signed on November 14th, 1990 in Warsaw fixed the limits of Germany reunified at the line Oder-Neiße, border effective since 1945. Germany renonça thus definitively with the old provinces of Eastern Prussia, Silesia, Poméranie Eastern and with the part of the Brandebourg located at the East of these two rivers.

Additional details

Celebrations

The German reunification is the celebrated German national festival today the October 3rd in remembering the declaration of adhesion. He had also been proposed the November 9th, but this date recalls, in addition to the fall of the wall in 1989, of sad episodes in the German history, of which the " Night of crystal " in 1938, this is why it was not retained.

Eastern Europe

Chronology of the collapse of the communist dictatorships

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