October 3: German Unity Day
Prayer Idea
Pray for the people and government of Germany.
Map by Peter Hermes Furian / Shutterstock.com.
History Note
Germany is a relatively young country, though the history of the Germanic peoples goes back many centuries. During the Middle Ages, numerous small kingdoms controlled parts of what became Germany. Many of these were part of the Holy Roman Empire, which included other regions in Europe.
The German Empire formed in 1871 with Wilhelm I as the first Kaiser. After Germany lost World War I, the country became a republic from 1918 to 1933. In 1933 the National Socialist Party (Nazis) came to power and controlled the country through World War II.
After that war, the Allies divided Germany into two sectors. West Germany was occupied by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. East Germany was occupied by the Soviet Union.
During the Cold War, West Germany became a parliamentary republic. East Germany was a socialist state. The city of Berlin was located in East Germany, but part of the city was legally included in West Germany. The Berlin Wall, constructed in 1961, divided the city.
As the Communist government began to collapse in the Soviet Union, people in Germany began to work toward reunification. The Berlin Wall started to come down on November 9, 1989. October 3 is celebrated as German Unity Day. This is the date in 1990 when East Germany dissolved and united with the Federal Republic of Germany.
Germany has a population of 84 million people. The large majority are ethnic Germans, with sizeable minorities of Turkish, Ukrainian, Syrian, Romanian, and Polish residents. German is the official language, though the government recognizes the minority languages of Danish, Frisian, Sorbian, and Romani. About 25% of the people are Roman Catholic, 23% are Protestant, and 4% are Muslim.
This photo shows an observance of German Unity Day at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin on October 3, 2014. Photo by Sergey Kohl / Shutterstock.com.
Learn More
This 2018 video looks at memories of German reunification.
Find more resources at Homeschool History.
