View source for German Unity Day

{{short description|National Day of Germany}}
{{more citations needed|date=October 2017}}<!--3 sections have no references-->
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox holiday
| holiday_name  = German Unity Day
| type          = National
| image         = Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-1990-1003-400,_Berlin,_deutsche_Vereinigung,_vor_dem_Reichstag.jpg
| imagesize     = 260px
| caption       = The flag of unity at midnight of 3 October 1990 in front of the [[Reichstag building|Reichstag]]
| official_name = {{langx|de|Tag der Deutschen Einheit}}
| nickname      = 
| observedby    = {{DEU}}
| litcolor      = 
| longtype      = 
| significance  = Commemorates the [[German Reunification]] in 1990
| date          = 3 October
| scheduling    = 3 October 2025
| duration      = 1 year
| frequency     = Annual
| celebrations  = 
| observances   = 
| relatedto     = 
}}

'''German Unity Day''' ({{langx|de|Tag der Deutschen Einheit}}, {{IPA|de|ˈtaːk deːɐ̯ ˈdɔʏtʃn̩ ˈʔaɪnhaɪt|pron|audio=De-Tag der Deutschen Einheit.ogg}}) is the [[National Day]] of [[Germany]], celebrated on 3 October as a public holiday.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.buzer.de/s1.htm?g=Einigungsvertrag&a=2 |title=www.buzer.de – Article 3 of the Treaty of German Reunification ("Einigungsvertrag") |access-date=3 October 2014 |archive-date=23 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923224034/http://www.buzer.de/s1.htm?g=Einigungsvertrag&a=2 |url-status=live }}</ref> It commemorates [[German reunification]] in 1990 when the German Democratic Republic ([[East Germany]]) ceased to exist and joined the Federal Republic of Germany ([[West Germany]]), so that for the first time since 1945 there existed a single German state.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/953868.stm|title=Germans mark decade of unity|publisher=BBC|language=English|date=3 October 2000|accessdate=16 August 2024|archive-date=16 August 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240816150711/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/953868.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> German Unity Day on 3 October has been the [[Public holidays in Germany|German national holiday]] since 1990, when the reunification was formally completed.

An alternative choice to commemorate the reunification could have been the day the [[Berlin Wall]] came down: 9 November 1989, which coincided with the anniversary of the [[German Revolution of 1918–1919|proclamation of the German Republic]] in 1918, and the defeat of [[Beer Hall Putsch|Hitler's first coup]] in 1923. However, 9 November was also the anniversary of the first large-scale Nazi-led [[pogrom]]s against [[Jews]] in 1938 (''[[Kristallnacht|Reichspogromnacht]]''), so the day was considered inappropriate as a national holiday<ref>Kosmidou, Eleftheria Rania (2012). ''European Civil War Films: Memory, Conflict, and Nostalgia''.  pp. 9–10. {{ISBN|1136250646}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dw.de/schicksalstag-der-deutschen/a-1389975 |title=Deutsche Welle (dw.de) (09.11.2004). ''Schicksalstag der Deutschen''. |access-date=3 October 2014 |archive-date=5 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150505222902/http://www.dw.de/schicksalstag-der-deutschen/a-1389975 |url-status=live }}</ref> (see [[9 November in German history]]). Therefore, 3 October 1990, the day of the formal reunification, was chosen instead. It replaced the "German Unity Day" on 17 June, the national holiday of the [[West Germany|Federal Republic of Germany]] from 1954.

==History==
Germany has historically associated various dates with its nationhood and unity.
===Imperial Germany===
Before 1871, in the area where the single state of Germany now exists, different kingdoms and principalities existed. After the [[unification of Germany]], and the Founding of the Empire 1871, there was still no common national holiday. The [[Sedantag]] was, however, celebrated every year on 2 September, recalling [[Battle of Sedan|the decisive victory]] in the [[Franco-Prussian War]] on 2 September 1870.<ref name="Schellack">Fritz Schellack: ''Nationalfeiertage in Deutschland 1871 bis 1945''. Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main u. a. 1990, {{ISBN|3-631-42524-4}} (zugl. Dissertation, Universität Mainz 1989)</ref>

Before the Empire was founded in 1872, there were calls for a national holiday, and there were three suggestions. No decision was made. Until 1873, the Sedantag was moved to 18 January or the day of the [[Treaty of Frankfurt (1871)|Frankfurt Treaty]] (10 May 1871). The Sedantag would soon also be celebrated at the universities and in many German cities. It never occurred to them to think about "Empire Parade" or "Emperor's Birthday". Some Culture Ministers of the states, especially in [[Prussia]], decided that the Sedantag would be an official festival in schools. Upon many suggestions, the date of the Emperor's proclamation on 18 January would be established as day of remembrance. Emperor Wilhelm I declined this: "This was also the day of the first Prussian coronation of the king, which should not fall into the shadow of a united German holiday."<ref>[[Karl Erich Born]]: ''Preußen im deutschen Kaiserreich 1871–1918. Führungsmacht des Reiches und Aufgehen im Reich''. In: [[Wolfgang Neugebauer (1953)|Wolfgang Neugebauer]] (Hrsg.): ''Handbuch der preussischen Geschichte''. Bd. III: ''Vom Kaiserreich zum 20. Jahrhundert und Große Themen der Geschichte Preußens''. [[Verlag Walter de Gruyter|De Gruyter]], Berlin 2000, {{ISBN|3-11-014092-6}}, S. 37</ref> 

Despite this, the [[Day of the founding of the German Empire]] was still celebrated locally and nationally to some degree. These celebrations continued in the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany. Following World War II, East Germany completely abandoned the holiday, while West Germany still celebrated it on a smaller scale. West Germany did acknowledge the centennial of the German Empire as the founding of the German state in 1871. 

===Weimar Republic===
On 31 July 1919, the [[Weimar Constitution]] would be accepted in its form by the [[Weimar National Assembly|Weimar National Congress]]. In memorial of this "Hour of birth of democracy", 11 August was created as Constitution Day, because the [[President of Germany (1919–1945)|President of Germany]] [[Friedrich Ebert]], signed the constitution on this day.<ref name="Schellack"/>

===National Socialism===
Shortly after the Nazis took power in 1933 (the so-called {{lang|de|[[Machtergreifung]]}}), [[May Day]] (1 May) was established as a national holiday in the ''[[German Reich]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.verfassungen.de/de/de33-45/feiertage34.htm |title=www.verfassungen.de – German holidays act from 27 February 1937 ("Gesetz über die Feiertage") |access-date=3 October 2014 |archive-date=6 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140806144124/http://www.verfassungen.de/de/de33-45/feiertage34.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> It was already celebrated as a "[[International Workers' Day|Day of the Labor Movement]]" since 1890, and also was part of the tradition for the May dance commemorating the [[Walpurgis Night]]. Immediately after the establishment of the holiday in 1933, the Nazis banned trade unions on 2 May 1933 and occupied their buildings as offices for the Nazi Movement. On 1 March 1939, Hitler declared [[November 9 in German history|9 November]] (the day of the failed [[Beer Hall Putsch]] in 1923) as the "Memorial Day for the movement" as the national holiday.

===Federal Republic of Germany===
From 1954 to 1990, 17 June was an official holiday in the Federal Republic of Germany to commemorate the [[East German uprising of 1953]], even with the name "German Unity Day".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.17juni53.de/chronik/5307/juli53_gesetz.jpg |title=www.17juli1953.de – Law paragraph establishing July 3rd, 1953, as the "German Unity Day" in West Germany. |access-date=3 October 2014 |archive-date=17 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417090939/http://www.17juni53.de/chronik/5307/juli53_gesetz.jpg |url-status=live }}</ref> Since 1963, it was proclaimed by the President of the Federal Republic as "National Day of Memorial of the German People". However, by the mid-1960s as hope faded that the two Germanys would ever be re-united, this date became more of a holiday and day of recreation than a day to consider national unity.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gunkel|first1=Christoph|title=Der 17. Juni: Tag der deutschen Zwietracht - SPIEGEL ONLINE - einestages|url=http://www.spiegel.de/einestages/tag-der-deutschen-einheit-nationalfeiertag-17-juni-a-1055106.html|work=Spiegel|date=3 October 2015|archive-date=25 May 2017|access-date=14 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525164648/http://www.spiegel.de/einestages/tag-der-deutschen-einheit-nationalfeiertag-17-juni-a-1055106.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
In the year 1990, the "German Unity Day" was celebrated twice, on this date and on 3 October.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055124/http://www.bmi.bund.de/cae/servlet/contentblob/297462/publicationFile/8836/proklamation1953.pdf Federal Ministry of the Interior – Presidential proclamation about July 3rd.]</ref>

===German Democratic Republic===
In East Germany, the Founding Day in 1949 was celebrated on 7 October as [[Republic Day (East Germany)|Republic Day]], until the 40th anniversary in 1989.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.verfassungen.de/de/ddr/feiertagsgesetz50.htm |title=www.verfassungen.de – East German law on introducing the holidays "Day of Liberation" and "Day of the Republic" (1950) ("Gesetz über die Einführung der Feiertage "Tag der Befreiung" und "Tag der Republik""). |access-date=3 October 2014 |archive-date=2 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081002085407/http://www.verfassungen.de/de/ddr/feiertagsgesetz50.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Decision for GDR's unity with the Federal Republic==
The motive for setting the date of 3 October as the possible Day of Unity was decided by the [[Volkskammer]], the East German parliament, on the impending economical and political collapse of the GDR. The Helsinki Conference was set for 2 October, at which the foreign ministers would be informed of the results of the [[Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany|Two-plus-Four talks]].

At the beginning of July, the governments of both German states decided on the schedule: State elections in the GDR would be held on 14 October, and a [[Bundestag]] election for the entire country on [[1990 German federal election|2 December]].

The decision on the date was finally made on 22 August by the GDR's Minister-President, [[Lothar de Maizière]], at a special session of the Volkskammer, which began at 9 p.m. After a heated debate, the President of the Volkskammer, [[Sabine Bergmann-Pohl]], announced the results at 2:30&nbsp;a.m. on 23 August:

{{blockquote|The Volkskammer decides on the accession of the GDR to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany according to Article 23 of the Basic Laws effective as of 3 October 1990. In the matter Nr. 201 there have been 363 votes. There were no invalid votes. 294 deputies have voted 'yes.' (Strong applause from CDU/DA, DSU, FDP, partly SPD and the deputies standing up in their seats.) 62 deputies have voted 'no', and 7 people abstained. This is a historic event. Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe that we have not made an easy decision, but today we have acted within our responsibilities of the voting rights of the citizens of the GDR. I thank everybody that this result was made possible by a consensus across party lines.}}

[[Gregor Gysi]], Chairman of the SED-PDS, was visibly moved and made a personal statement: "Madame President! The Parliament has no more and no less decided on the downfall of the German Democratic Republic as of 3 October 1990".<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.bundestag.de/dokumente/textarchiv/30851476_wegmarken_einheit4/202398
|title=Die Nacht, in der der Beitritt beschlossen wurde
|publisher=Bundestag
|quote=Sichtlich bewegt tritt Gysi ans Rednerpult, um eine persönliche Erklärung abzugeben: "Frau Präsidentin! Das Parlament hat soeben nicht mehr und nicht weniger als den Untergang der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik zum 3. Oktober 1990 beschlossen", so der PDS-Chef.
|access-date=26 July 2014
|archive-date=3 August 2014
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140803094808/http://www.bundestag.de/dokumente/textarchiv/30851476_wegmarken_einheit4/202398
|url-status=live
}}</ref> This statement was met by jubilant cheers from the CDU/DA, DSU and SPD.

===Attempt to change the date of Unity Day===
On 3 November 2004, the Federal Chancellor, [[Gerhard Schröder]], suggested that the "German Unity Day" be celebrated on a Sunday, for economic reasons. Instead of 3 October, the National Reunification should be celebrated on the first Sunday of October. This suggestion received a lot of criticism from many sides, amongst them from Federal President [[Horst Köhler]] as well as the President of the [[Bundestag]], [[Wolfgang Thierse]]. The demand worried a part of the population because of discontent for increased working hours would be seen as a provocation and devaluing the national holiday. In addition, fixing the Unity Day on the first Sunday of October would have meant that it would sometimes fall on 7 October, which happens to have been the national day of East Germany; this date would thus have been seen as commemorating the division of Germany rather than the reunification. The idea was dropped after a short but angry debate.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/tag-der-deutschen-einheit-3-oktober-bleibt-feiertag-schroeder-verlogene-debatte-1195037.html |title=Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung – October 3rd stays holiday – Schröder: "Dishonest debate" ("3. Oktober bleibt Feiertag – Schröder: "Verlogene Debatte"). |date=5 November 2004 |access-date=2 June 2020 |archive-date=27 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927112550/https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/tag-der-deutschen-einheit-3-oktober-bleibt-feiertag-schroeder-verlogene-debatte-1195037.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Celebrations==
[[File:2014-10-03 Tag der Deutschen Einheit, (108) Luftballons vom Freundeskreis Hannover für Angela Merkel und Joachim Gauck,, (01).jpg|thumb|Chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] and President [[Joachim Gauck]] at the ''Bürgerfest'' (German Unity Day festivities) in [[Hannover]] in 2014]]
The Day of German Unity is celebrated each year with a ceremonial act and a citizen's festival (''{{lang|de|Bürgerfest}}'').

The celebrations are hosted by a major city, usually the state capital, in the [[States of Germany|German state]] presiding over the [[Bundesrat of Germany|Bundesrat]] in the respective year (a sequence determined by the Königstein Agreement<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.wahlrecht.de/lexikon/bundesratspraesident.html |title=www.wahlrecht.de – Wahl des Bundesratspräsidenten & Königsteiner Vereinbarung |access-date=4 October 2014 |archive-date=20 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140920202141/http://www.wahlrecht.de/lexikon/bundesratspraesident.html |url-status=live }}</ref>). After [[Bonn]] in 2011, [[Frankfurt am Main]] was the second non-state capital to host the celebrations in 2015; however, both cities are significant in German political history (Bonn as former capital of [[West Germany]] and Frankfurt as the place of the [[Frankfurt Parliament]] of 1848–49).

{| style="width:75%;"
|-
|  style="width:50%; vertical-align:top;"|
*1990 in [[Berlin]], [[capital of Germany]], [[German reunification|reunited]] that year
*1991 in [[Hamburg]] 
*1992 in [[Schwerin]], state capital of [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]]
*1993 in [[Saarbrücken]], state capital of [[Saarland]]
*1994 in [[Bremen]], state capital of [[Bremen (state)|Bremen]]
*1995 in [[Düsseldorf]], state capital of [[North Rhine-Westphalia]]
*1996 in [[Munich]], state capital of [[Bavaria]]
*1997 in [[Stuttgart]], state capital of [[Baden-Württemberg]]
*1998 in [[Hannover]], state capital of [[Lower Saxony]]
*1999 in [[Wiesbaden]], state capital of [[Hesse]]
*2000 in [[Dresden]], state capital of [[Saxony]]
*2001 in [[Mainz]], state capital of [[Rhineland-Palatinate]]
*2002 in Berlin
*2003 in [[Magdeburg]], state capital of [[Saxony-Anhalt]]
*2004 in [[Erfurt]], state capital of [[Thuringia]]
*2005 in [[Potsdam]], state capital of [[Brandenburg]]
*2006 in [[Kiel]], state capital of [[Schleswig-Holstein]]
*2007 in Schwerin, state capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
*2008 in Hamburg
*2009 in Saarbrücken, state capital of Saarland
|  style="width:50%; vertical-align:top;"|
*2010 in Bremen
*2011 in [[Bonn]], former federal capital, instead of the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, Düsseldorf (Motto: "Freiheit Einheit Freude – Bewegt mehr" - "Liberty Unity Joy - Make a bigger difference")
*2012 in Munich, state capital of Bavaria
*2013 in Stuttgart, state capital of Baden-Württemberg
*2014 in Hannover, state capital of Lower Saxony (Motto: "Einheit in Vielfalt" - "Unity in Diversity")
*2015 in [[Frankfurt]], largest city of Hesse (Motto: "Grenzen überwinden" - "Overcoming borders")
*2016 in Dresden, state capital of Saxony (Motto: "Brücken bauen" - "Building bridges")
*2017 in Mainz, state capital of Rhineland-Palatinate (Motto: "Zusammen sind wir Deutschland" - "Together we are Germany")
*2018 in Berlin
*2019 in Kiel, state capital of Schleswig-Holstein
*2020 in Potsdam, state capital of Brandenburg
*2021 in [[Halle (Saale)|Halle]], largest city of [[Saxony-Anhalt]]
*2022 in Erfurt, state capital of Thuringia
*2023 in Hamburg
*2024 in [[Schwerin]], state capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
*2025 in Saarbrücken, state capital of Saarland
*2026 in Bremen
|}

In addition, various celebrations are held in the federal capital [[Berlin]], mainly based on the [[Straße des 17. Juni]] and around the [[Brandenburg Gate]]. State capitals and also other cities often have additional festivities. Furthermore, the [[Oktoberfest]] [[beer festival]] in [[Munich]], which traditionally runs until the first Sunday in October, now runs until 3 October, if the Sunday in question falls on the first or second day of October. The celebrations in the host city always includes a festival and fireworks show.

===Zipfelbund: compass communities===
At the 1999 Day of German Unity celebration in [[Wiesbaden]] the {{Interlanguage link multi|Zipfelbund|de}} (Compass Confederation) was formalised. The Zipfelbund are the four communities at the cardinal [[Points of the compass#Compass point names|compass points]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.zipfelbund.de/impressum/|title = Impressum (Zipfelbund)}}</ref> of Germany: North – [[List, Schleswig-Holstein|List]] on the island of [[Sylt]], West – [[Selfkant]], South – [[Oberstdorf]] and East – [[Görlitz]]. Together, they always participate in the respective annual celebration to represent the [[Oder–Neisse line#Division of cities|modern borders]] of Germany.

{{Location map+|Germany|caption=Zipfelbund – Compass Communities – locations|places=
{{Location map~|Germany|label=List|lat=55.018611|long=8.432222|position=bottom}}
{{Location map~|Germany|label=Selfkant|lat=51.016667|long=5.916667|position=right}}
{{Location map~|Germany|label=Görlitz|lat=51.152778|long=14.987222|position=left}}
{{Location map~|Germany|label=Oberstdorf|lat=47.409722|long=10.279167|position=top}}
}}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Direction
! Community
! State
! Coordinates
! Population
|-
| North
| [[List auf Sylt]]
| [[Schleswig-Holstein]]
| {{coord|55|1|N|8|26|E}}
| style="text-align:right" | 2,462
|-
| West
| [[Selfkant]]
| [[North Rhine-Westphalia]]
| {{coord|51|1|N|5|55|E}}
| style="text-align:right" | 10,263
|-
| East
| [[Görlitz]]
| [[Saxony]]
| {{coord|51|9|N|14|59|E}}
| style="text-align:right" | 56,461
|-
| South
| [[Oberstdorf]]
| [[Bavaria]]
| {{coord|47|25|N|10|17|E}}
| style="text-align:right" | 9,974
|}

==See also==
* [[East German uprising of 1953]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
{{Wiktionary}}
* [http://www.tag-der-deutschen-einheit.de/ Tag der Deutschen Einheit 2014] Niedersächsische Staatskanzlei
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20141006150844/http://www.bonn2011.de/ Tag der Deutschen Einheit 2011] Bonn {{in lang|de}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131117225015/http://www.chronik-der-mauer.de/index.php/de/Chronical/Detail/month/Oktober/year/1990 Chronik der Mauer] chronik-der-mauer.de 1990 {{in lang|de}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110718231831/http://1989.dra.de/ton-und-videoarchiv/videos/1990.html?tx_weeaardra_pi1%5Buid%5D=111&cHash=4fac27658d Video: Volkskammerbeschluss 23. August 1990 zum Beitritt der DDR zur Bundesrepublik] [[Deutsches Rundfunkarchiv]] 1989 {{in lang|de}}
* [https://archive.today/20070209080025/http://www.germany-info.org/relaunch/info/publications/infocus/15yrs_Reunification/ German Embassy Publication, Infocus:German Unity Day]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:National days]]
[[Category:Public holidays in Germany|Unity Day]]
[[Category:Unity days|Germany]]
[[Category:October observances]]
[[Category:German reunification]]
[[Category:Autumn in Germany]]
[[Category:German flag flying days]]