New Delhi: Today, we know Germany as one of the most powerful and developed nations in the world. But there was a time when it was divided into two nations: East Germany and West Germany. Every year on October 3, German Unity Day is celebrated in Germany to commemorate the unification of the two erstwhile nations into a single country as we know it now. In this article, we will look at this day’s significance.
The division of a country into two parts
After World War II, Germany was carved up into four military sectors controlled by the United Kingdom, France, the Soviet Union and the US. On May 23, 1949, the area that France, the UK and the US controlled became the Federal Republic of Germany. On October 7, 1949, the Soviet Union-controlled territory became the German Democratic Republic, generally known in Germany as the DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik).
Both countries had very different economic and political and the people of the two countries had little contact. In the DDR, repression characterized the life of people as thousands of inhabitants were kept under intimate surveillance by the infamous East German secret police, the Stasi. On September 4, 1989, Leipzig citizens marched against the DDR government peacefully and more demonstrations took place across the DDR. The protests demanded the borders be opened. On November 9, 1989, the checkpoints which divided the two nations were opened and people were permitted to travel freely. Possibly the most famous image of the unification of the two nations was the Fall of the Berlin Wall.
The protests changed the scenario and democratic elections led to the unity of the German Democratic Republic on March 18, 1990. In August of that year, both parties signed the ‘Treaty of Unification’ and finally, the unification of Germany became official on October 3, 1990.
Every year on October 3, German Unity Day is celebrated in Germany to commemorate the unification of the two erstwhile nations into a single country as we know it now. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
