The Day of German Unity (Tag der Deutschen Einheit), held annually on October 3, stands as Germany’s national holiday, commemorating the profound moment when the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the Democratic Republic of Germany (East Germany) formally united. This date, sealed by the Unification Treaty in 1990, marks the official end of Germany's decades-long division and the conclusion of the GDR's existence.
The celebration is recognized across the nation as a public holiday, allowing the general population a day off work while schools and most businesses remain closed. The celebratory atmosphere is consistently described as festive, welcoming, and safe, often featuring a blend of political speeches, concerts, communal meals, and regional culture presentations, culminating in fireworks.
The journey to reunification was swift yet impactful, driven by a powerful popular movement that historians now recognize as a peaceful revolution. The initial cracks in the Berlin Wall, which had physically and symbolically separated East and West Berlin for 28 years, appeared on November 9, 1989. This event, often cited as the end of the Cold War, opened the borders following months of sustained protests by citizens of the former GDR. The fall of the Wall paved the way for unity less than a year later.
The formal process of unification was initiated in the early hours of August 23, 1990, when the tenth People’s Chamber of the GDR made the historic decision to accede to the Federal Republic of Germany in accordance with Article 23 of the Basic Law. Following further negotiations and steps to prepare the accession process, the Unification Treaty was formally signed on September 20, 1990.
The subsequent accession took place on October 3, 1990, officially ending the division and simultaneously designating that date as the permanent German national holiday. Thus, the holiday celebrates both the pivotal events of 1989 and the successful unity that followed in 1990.
As a tradition, the official state ceremony and subsequent large-scale public celebration of German Unity Day rotates annually. The festivities are typically hosted in the capital city of the federal state that holds the current presidency of the Bundesrat (Federal Council). This ensures that the commemorative significance of the day is shared across all regions of the unified nation. In 2025, Saarland will officially host the celebrations in its capital, Saarbrücken.
The state of Saarland is hosting the three-day celebration, transforming Saarbrücken city centre into the festive venue from Thursday to Saturday (October 2 to October 4). This location serves as a powerful symbol, given that Saarland borders France and Luxembourg and only became part of Germany in 1957. While the main events are concentrated in Saarbrücken, the holiday is also celebrated with parties, exhibitions, and events in other major cities, particularly around the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
The celebrations are designed to be a high-profile national event. Musical acts announced for the various stages include Die Prinzen and Rea Garvey, reflecting the festive atmosphere.
The main events on the actual Unity Day (Friday) include an ecumenical service and a major state ceremony. High-profile guests expected to attend include French President Emmanuel Macron, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU).
Given the presence of national and international dignitaries, strict security protocols are in place. The Federal Ministry of Transport established a no-fly zone over the event areas in Saarbrücken, which remains in effect from Thursday through Saturday. The goal of this restriction is the "risk minimization of possible uncontrolled flight movements."
Additionally, the city of Saarbrücken and the municipality of Mettlach have imposed a drone ban, prohibiting the possession of any unmanned aerial systems or their remote controls on the premises without official authorization. Unregistered drones will be detected and grounded by the police, and violations of the ban will be consistently prosecuted, emphasizing that the protection of the event holds "absolute priority."
Thirty-five years after the historic unification, contemporary debates center on ensuring equitable development and true cohesion across the former East and West.
On the occasion of the 35th anniversary, the Federal Office of Social Affairs and Health (BSW) has issued a five-point plan, arguing for a massive new investment program targeting the western states. The BSW calls for at least €100 billion in federal funds for a multi-year infrastructure program dubbed "Aufbau West" (Reconstruction of the West), urging relevant federal states to participate.
The demand stems from the argument that while the "Aufbau Ost" (Reconstruction of the East) program successfully promoted the infrastructure of the then-new federal states following reunification, infrastructure in West Germany has been comparatively neglected over the same 35 years. The BSW highlights struggling infrastructure and neglected inner cities in the West, asking rhetorically: "Dresden, Potsdam, Görlitz: And what about Gelsenkirchen, Kaiserslautern, Mannheim?"
They point out that in Gelsenkirchen and Kaiserslautern, the right-wing AfD party received the highest share of the second votes in the February federal elections, linking infrastructural neglect to political dissatisfaction.
Another persistent challenge is the representation of native East Germans in federal administration management. The annual report from the Federal Government's Commissioner for Eastern European Affairs shows that the promotion of careers for East Germans is not meeting the federal government's desired goal.
Despite the population share of East Germans being around 20 percent, their representation at the highest management level of the federal administration has actually declined between 2022 and 2025, falling from 6.8 to 3.7 percent. When excluding those born in Berlin from the statistics, the proportion is even lower, dropping from 4.5 to a mere 1.9 percent. Although the proportion of East Germans in all managerial positions (middle and junior levels included) slightly increased from 13.9 percent in 2022 to 15.5 percent this year, the significant lack of representation at the top levels remains a key issue for achieving true national cohesion.
Looking at the broader workforce, significant progress toward equality has been made in certain areas. Notably, the proportion of employed women has nearly equalized across East and West Germany. In 2024, 74 percent of women were employed in both the eastern and western federal states. This represents a massive closing of the gap from 1991, when the employment rate for women was 66 percent in the East and only 54 percent in the West.
However, a notable earnings gap persists. While the difference is far smaller than in 1991 (when average gross monthly earnings in the West were more than double those in the East: €1,987 vs. €924), it is still significant today. In 2024, the average earnings in the eastern states stood at €3,973, compared to €4,810 in the western states, highlighting an economic disparity that remains thirty-five years into the unified nation's history.
As Germany reflects on the past three and a half decades, German Unity Day serves not only as a commemoration of the peaceful reunification but also as a reminder of the work that remains. German Unity Day thus serves both as a commemoration and as a prompt for future policies aimed at strengthening cohesion, addressing disparities, and celebrating the peaceful reunification of a once-divided nation.
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