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Berlin, Deutschland | Tag der Deutschen Einheit in Berlin
Image: Fabian Sommer/picture allianceImage: Fabian Sommer/picture alliance

German reunification

For 40 years Germany was split into the Federal Republic of Germany in the West and the German Democratic Republic in the East. Reunification happened on October 3, 1990, and the day is now a public holiday in Germany.

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

A man in military uniform in front of control panels at a former Ukrainian nuclear command center

What would it take for Ukrainians to feel secure?

What would it take for Ukrainians to feel secure?

Many Ukrainians now regret giving up their arsenal of nuclear weapons after the end of the Cold War.
ConflictsDecember 23, 202405:20 min
People in civilian clothes leaning on and through two stretches of gray bars at an angle to each other.

Syria's secret services tactics echo Nazis, Stasi methods

Syria's secret services tactics echo Nazis, Stasi methods

The former dictatorship appears to have been shaped by Nazi war criminals who fled abroad and the East German Stasi.
PoliticsDecember 14, 2024
Interior view of an air raid shelter in Hamburg

Germany's plans to convert buildings into bomb shelters

Germany's plans to convert buildings into bomb shelters

As the military threat from Russia grows, the German government is working on a "bunker plan" to expand civil defense.
PoliticsNovember 30, 202402:21 min
A woman stands in front of a piece of the graffiti-covered Berlin Wall.

Segments of Berlin Wall — 35 years after fall

Segments of Berlin Wall — 35 years after fall

The Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989. A DW team went looking for still-standing segments of the structure.
HistoryNovember 9, 202405:30 min
Birgit Fischer

Berlin Wall anniversary: East Germans who thrived after fall

Berlin Wall anniversary: East Germans who thrived after fall

After the Wall fell, these standout GDR athletes flourished on the international stage — and the medal podium.
SportsNovember 9, 202412 images
A photo from 1997 by Jordis Antonia Schloesser showing a boy playing in a graffiti-covered bus in the backyard of the Kunstehaus Tacheles.

Berlin in the 1990s: Playground and wasteland

Berlin in the 1990s: Playground and wasteland

The decade that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall shaped the city's global image as a hub of creativity and change.
CultureNovember 9, 2024
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Skip next section In the spotlight

In the spotlight

People look at artworks lined up as an open-air installation at river Spree marking the former course of the Berlin Wall

How the Berlin Wall split the city in two

In 1961, Communist East Germany built a massive barrier throughout Berlin, dividing the city into east and west.
HistoryNovember 9, 202402:46 min
1. FC Magdeburg huddle up before a game

35 years after Berlin Wall, East German football struggling

East Germany’s political collapse was mirrored in football, but a focus on youth brings hope for the future.
SportsNovember 7, 2024
People stand with German flags in front of the Brandenburg Gate at night, in 1989

Defending the legacy of East Germany's peaceful revolution

Three decades after German reunification, the anti-immigrant AfD is on the rise. Former rights activists are outraged.
PoliticsOctober 3, 202402:49 min
Martin Schirdewan and Janine Wissler

Germany's Left Party on the brink of oblivion

The most important socialist voice in the country's political landscape is struggling for survival.
PoliticsAugust 20, 2024
Bunker turned cultural center in Bremen

Civil protection: Calls for Germany to build new bunkers

German cities want new bunkers to protect the population in the event of war. But critics argue there's no point.
SocietyJuly 1, 2024
The official mascot of UEFA EURO 2024 stands by the trophy

Euro 2024: The west continues to dominate German sports

Of the 10 cities hosting matches for the European Football Championship, only one is located in former East Germany.
SportsJune 6, 2024
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