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Germany's struggle for a unified identity was a long one marked by numerous politically and religiously motivated wars. Only in 1871 the loose confederation of separate states and territories with an ever-changing set of allies and enemies was unified by Prussia's military power rather than a sense of belonging.
The new nation was consumed by a thirst for power and expansion which directly lead to World War I, defeat for Germany and Austria and a disastrous peace agreement. The result was a Germany ruled by civil unrest and a desire for revenge. An easy prey for Adolph Hitler who was able to turn general disaffection into the focussed lunacy of the Third Reich and World War II.
At a loss of what to do and with the intention of preventing Germany from being in command of comparable economic and military power the allied forces divided the country in two hostile states; the parts held by the Western powers were developed into the Federal Republic of Germany, while the eastern zone occupied by the Soviets became the German Democratic Republic.
Berlin, capital and bone of contention, was divided by the same formula.
The contest between the two states was unequal: The German Democratic Republic was forced to adopt a Communist system at odds with the national character and was never able to break free from being a client state of the Soviet Union.
The Federal Republic considered itself to be the natural successor to the old Reich and was able to build a democratic society. Its economy boomed if only with considerable financial help from the USA.
Finally, the German Democratic Republic had fallen so far behind that emigration became a severe problem. In 1961 authorities came up with the smart idea to wall-in their population and built an electrified barbed-wire frontier dubbed the 'iron curtain'. The Berlin Wall cemented the partition of Germany's capital. The strict separation of the two German states symbolized the differences and tensions between USA and UDSSR - the cold war.
In 1989 the fissure became too much and the unstoppable momentum of events in the wake of the 'Wende' (change) took its course. A peaceful revolution toppled the German Democratic Republic's Communist regime leading to the downfall of the Berlin Wall celebrated in the most exciting party the city had ever seen: East Germans were welcomed with flowers and 'begruessungsgeld', a welcome gift of money to introduce them to capitalist joys like shopping, dining out and so on. The Wall was taken by storm by a singing and dancing crowd. It was eventually taken down by official staff and human 'woodpeckers' alike.
In less than a year Germany was reunified on paper if not in the mind of its population. The unification process lead to a myriad of economic, political and social problems and tensions which are far from being solved.
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German life is a mix of generations, old traditions and dynamic cultural development.
Discover the wide variety of cultural life in Germany. Go on a time travel through different eras and visit the German castles and palaces. You can also hike or drive along one of the plenty scenic routes and expierence Germany's Magic Cities and Historic Highlights.
When some people think of German food they think about sausages, sauerkraut, and of course beer. It's isn't a lie that Germans eat and drink those things, but that's just the beginning. Germany has a rich and diverse assortment of foods and specialties.
Oktoberfest is a holiday that is celebrated in Munich Bavaria for 16 days prior to the first Sunday in October.Presently Oktoberfest is the largest festival in the world. Every year 6 million visitors from around the world come to participate in the Festivities.
Discover the country that gave us Beethoven and Bauhaus, Goethe and Glühwein, Lager and Lederhosen - you won't be disappointed.
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