25 German years, part 1
1990 to 1996 – from reunification to the redesign of Potsdam Platz.
1990 – Germany is one country again. The Treaty on German Unity comes into force on 3 October: the former GDR (East Germany) joins the territory covered by the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany. Earlier, the Two Plus Four Treaty between the foreign ministers of the two German states and the victorious powers of the Second World War had paved the way for reunification.
1991 – New seat of government. The constitutive session of the first all-German Bundestag (parliament) is held in Berlin’s Reichstag building in January. Subsequent sessions move back to Bonn. On 20 June, the Bundestag votes for Berlin as the new seat of parliament and government. Eight years later, parliamentarians finally move into the Reichstag building.
1992 – Coming to terms with the past. Citizens gain access to the mountains of files compiled by the GDR’s Ministry for State Security (Stasi) after decades of spying on the population. Joachim Gauck, Federal Commissioner for the Stasi Records, is inundated with applications to inspect files.
1993 – Aufbau Ost. The Solidarity Pact East (later Solidarity Pact I) becomes law on 13 March. It allocates a total of 94.5 billion euros until the end of 2004 for “economic reconstruction in the east” (in other words, the former GDR, now the five new German states). From 2005 to 2019 the Solidarity Pact II pledges a further 156 billion euros to the new states.
1994 – Farewell to the Allies. To great applause from the population of Berlin, the troops of the Western Allies hold a final joint parade on 18 June; their presence in the capital ends officially on 8 September. The last Russian troops also leave Berlin – and take their leave by singing a marching song in German.
1995 – Spectacular art event. Christo and Jeanne-Claude wrap Berlin’s Reichstag building for two weeks in the summer. The happening attracts approximately five million people: a cultural highlight for the reunited city.
1996 – New Berlin. The complete redesign of Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz makes progress. But before world-class architects like Renzo Piano and Arata Isozaki complete their work, Daniel Barenboim conducts a Ballet of the Cranes on 26 October.
