German Unity Day 2021: All you need to know about this national festival

Thirty years ago today, East Germany joined the western federal republic to form what is known today as the Federal Republic of Germany. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people get together to mark the day surrounded by vibrant displays, ceremonies and festivals in major cities. Germany's flag is displayed, particularly on public buildings, to showcase and uplift the spirit of patriotism in the citizens.

German unification

Germany was reunited on October 3, 1990, after four decades of Cold War division. East Germany joined the western federal republic less than a year after the east’s communist rulers, under pressure from growing protests, opened the Berlin Wall and the rest of the highly fortified border between the two states on November 9, 1989. In the cold war era, living in the east was in stark contrast to living in the west. While the west flourished under capitalist rule, people in the east were subjected to shortages, being spied upon and feeling trapped. Since the fall of the Berlin war, thousands of people have migrated from the east to the other side of the now-demolished iron curtain.

Why was October 3 chosen?

While the infamous Berlin wall fell on October 9, the administration chose October 3 to mark the occasion because it was on the 9th that the Adolf Hitler led Nazi Party took over the Bavarian government. Additionally, the day also marked the start of Kristallnacht or Germany’s persecution of the jews in 1938. Therefore, the authorities did not find it appropriate to designate October 9 as the country’s ‘Unity Day.’ 

Last year, 66-year-old Angela Merkel, who grew up in East Germany, said that the country had achieved a lot in the past 30 years. “We have succeeded in significantly reducing the differences in living conditions between eastern and western Germany,” she was quoted saying by the Associated Press. However, in her address to the parliament, Merkel pointed out the difference between both sides remained, and further efforts were necessary.

"31 years ago, people in East Germany and Europe took to the streets to finally tear down the Wall. Today, reunited Germany is committed to upholding freedom and human rights," German Embassy in the US said in a statement. 

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