Day of German Unity

On October 3, 1990 Germany had been reunited after more than 40 years of separation. After world war II Germany was not only reduced in size (which was mainly due to the fact that the Soviet Union moved Poland westward and incorporated the eastern part of Poland into their own empire), but also split into two parts. The latter was not originally planned, but as the Soviet Union had other plans with their occupied countries than the western allies had with their part of Germany, a separation was inevitable.

From that time things were looking up for the western part of Germany which was ruled by the Americans, the British and the French. The Americans *covered* the country with the Marshall Plan (officially: "European Recovery Program") and CARE parcels (Many Thanks!!!), and the Germans (who were called the "Natives of Trizonesia" in a contemporary carnival song - because of the three occupation zones) started to rebuild the destroyed country. The time of wealth reached its peak in the fifties.

The people in the eastern part of Germany were just as busy, but unfortunately with much less success, as the Soviets first stole all the important and intact machines from them and then made laws with the help of the eastern German regime which spoiled everyone's enjoyment of work. This dissatisfaction reached its peak in 1953 and resulted in a worker's rebellion which literally was rolled down by the Soviet tanks (this was similar to what happend to the Hungarians and the Czechs later). In 1948 the Soviets tried to occupy West Berlin. They blocked off the city and cut off all supply. *Unfortunately* there was the ingenious American Lucius D Clay, the inventor of the Raisin Bombers. He sent the American transport planes from western Germany to carry goods to Berlin. The planes were flying without interruption and this for about one year - a masterly performance in logistics! In the end the Soviets had to surrender - that's how you win a war with peaceful means :-)

On August 13, 1961 the Berlin Wall was built and so the citizens of the GDR were imprisoned within their own country. The exact number of victims killed at the German border is not known. However, there were always cases which clearly showed the inhumanity of this border, like the murder of 18 year old bricklayer Peter Fechter who was shot by guards while trying to get over the Wall and was left badly wounded at the place where they shot him. His cries for help were also heard on the western side of the Wall, but the guards threatened everyone trying to get to him. In the end he was taken to hospital by some East German policemen where he died soon afterwards.

In the middle of the eighties there was suddenly a fresh breeze in Eastern Europe. The first rebels were the Polish shipyard workers led by the electrician Lech Walesa. Soon afterwards Mikhail Gorbachev became head of the government in the Soviet Union, and he announced a new openness. The civil rights activists in East Germany, who had been suffering terribly under the regime, became even more courageous - and also the number of "members" increased, until by the end of the eighties they became a mass movement. The State Security couldn't intimidate them any longer. "With candles and prayers", as it was said in the movie "Nikolaikirche", they made the Wall come down. Just 11 months after the Fall of the Wall in November 1989 Germany was reunited.

Last update: January 18, 2009