German Unity Day

October 3, is a national holiday in Germany, to celebrate the country's reunification in 1990.

The natural choice would have been the day the Berlin Wall came down, namely November 9, 1989, which happily coincided with the anniversary of the founding of the first real German Republic in 1918 and the sound defeat of Hitler's first coup in 1923, which gave that republic another decade; however November 9 was also the anniversary of the first large-scale Nazi-led pogroms against Jews in 1938 (Kristallnacht), and the day was thus considered inappropriate as a national holiday. Thus, October 3, 1990, the day of formal reunion was chosen instead. For most Germans it is no more than a day off from work.

See also East Germany, West Germany.

Before reunification, in Western Germany the "Day of German Unity" was June 17, the day in 1953 on which workers in the former East staged a failed revolt against Communism, and many were killed by the authorities with Soviet aid. In East Germany the national holiday was October 7.

See Workers Uprising of 1953 in East Germany and Strasse des 17. Juni and East Germany.