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West Germany

West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany from its formation on 23 May 1949 until its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990.

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A piece of the Berlin Wall with red graffiti in front of ancient brick buildings.

A piece of the Berlin Wall with red graffiti in front of ancient brick buildings.

Where Berlin Wall sections are found around the world

The Berlin Wall didn't disappear with its fall in 1989: Pieces of it are scattered across the globe today.

The head of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution Sinan Selen speaks during a ceremony marking the 75 years of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, on October 27, 2025 at the Interior Ministry in Berlin

The head of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution Sinan Selen speaks during a ceremony marking the 75 years of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, on October 27, 2025 at the Interior Ministry in Berlin

German domestic intelligence agency sees cause to celebrate

Germany's domestic spy agency marks its 75th anniversary. How well does the early warning system work?

US, UK and French soldiers walking past spectators

US, UK and French soldiers walking past spectators

1994: Remembering when World War II Allies left Berlin

Thirty years ago, the military presence of the US, Great Britain, France and the former Soviet Union came to an end.

Black and white photo of RAF terrorists (top row, l-r): Andreas Baader, Ulrike Meinhof, Gudrun Ensslin, Ronald Augustin, (bottom row l-r): Jan-Carl Raspe, Klaus Jünschke, Ilse Stachowiak and Irmgard Möller

Black and white photo of RAF terrorists (top row, l-r): Andreas Baader, Ulrike Meinhof, Gudrun Ensslin, Ronald Augustin, (bottom row l-r): Jan-Carl Raspe, Klaus Jünschke, Ilse Stachowiak and Irmgard Möller

Germany's RAF terrorism — an unresolved story

The left-wing terrorist Red Army Faction emerged from the radicalized student protest movement in the 1960s and '70s.

Ruth Fuchs competes in the Olympic javelin competition at the 1972 Munich games

Ruth Fuchs competes in the Olympic javelin competition at the 1972 Munich games

Ruth Fuchs, GDR javelin ace turned German politician, dies

The former East German athlete later served in the East German and reunified German parliaments.

A black and white photo of US helicopters and soldiers in Vietnam

A black and white photo of US helicopters and soldiers in Vietnam

Looking at Germany's role in the Vietnam War 50 years later

DW looks at how Germany's support for Vietnam during the war was divided by east and west.

Plaque commemorating the victims

Plaque commemorating the victims

Berlin, Olympics attack victims' families reach deal

The deal, which ends decades of legal wrangling, comes just days ahead of the 50th anniversary of the tragedy.

Bronze replica of Uwe Seeler's right foot adorned by flowers and other tokens of remembrance

Bronze replica of Uwe Seeler's right foot adorned by flowers and other tokens of remembrance

Fans gather to remember football legend Seeler

Chancellor Olaf Scholz was among the many dignitaries and football fans who paid tribute to "our Uwe" in Hamburg.

Old-fashioned car next to a small tent in the countryside

Old-fashioned car next to a small tent in the countryside

Exhibition looks at vacationing in East Germany

Citizens of the GDR were not allowed to travel far, making Poland and Czechoslovakia popular destinations.

Uwe Seeler in front of a photo from his playing days.

Uwe Seeler in front of a photo from his playing days.

Uwe Seeler passes away at 85

Uwe Seeler was one of the most prolific strikers to play for Hamburg and West Germany.

Uwe Seeler, hands on a balcony, smiling, in black and white

Uwe Seeler, hands on a balcony, smiling, in black and white

Football legend Uwe Seeler dies at 85

In the hearts of German football fans, "Mr. Hamburger SV" will always remain simply "our Uwe."

Jumble of large wooden letters in a bowl

Jumble of large wooden letters in a bowl

'Kaiser' to 'cheese': Etymology of German words

Latin, Greek and French, among other languages, influenced German.

Horst Eckel

Horst Eckel

Germany's last 1954 World Cup winner dies

German soccer is mourning the death of Horst Eckel, the last surviving member of the 1954 World Cup-winning side.

Dresden Ausstellung Deutsches "Design 1949 – 1989" | Kunsthalle im Lipsiusbau

Dresden Ausstellung Deutsches "Design 1949 – 1989" | Kunsthalle im Lipsiusbau

East and West German design classics over 40 years

Kunstgewerbemuseum Dresden presents post-war design from the former east and west German states over four decades.

Reichstag building is shown with a tricolor German flag (top to bottom: black, red, yellow)

Reichstag building is shown with a tricolor German flag (top to bottom: black, red, yellow)

How reunified is Germany?

Thousands lost jobs in the east after the Berlin Wall fell. But much has been achieved for younger generations.

Picasso's mural War and Peace

Picasso's mural War and Peace

Picasso's image in East and West Germany

The influential artist was viewed through drastically different ideological lenses in former East and West Germany.

Movie: "Die Unbeugsamen" or "Femocracy" | German politicians, 1984

Movie: "Die Unbeugsamen" or "Femocracy" | German politicians, 1984

Femocracy - Women on the political stage

"Die Unbeugsamen" is a documentary about West Germany's pioneering female politicians.

DW Arts.21 (Sendungslogo Kultur.21 englisch)

DW Arts.21 (Sendungslogo Kultur.21 englisch)

How the German election impacts the arts

The Merkel era; Pioneering women in politics; Photographing the powerful; Culture and the election

Top shot of several Toast Hawaiis topped with ham, pineapple, cheese, and cherries

Top shot of several Toast Hawaiis topped with ham, pineapple, cheese, and cherries

Culinary memories from East and West Germany

How did German cuisine develop differently on each side of the wall?

Heiko Scholz (bottom right) won the German Cup with Bayer Leverkusen - and the East German Cup with Lok Leipzig

Heiko Scholz (bottom right) won the German Cup with Bayer Leverkusen - and the East German Cup with Lok Leipzig

How to win the cup in both East and West Germany

Heiko Scholz won domestic cups with both Lok Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen. The pair faced off in the German Cup.

Project Fussball

Project Fussball

German football identity: Derek Rae & Steve Cherundolo

In the penultimate episode of the season, James is joined by the unofficial mayor of Hanover and the official voice of the world's most popular football video game. Together former Hannover 96 legend Steve Cherundolo and renowned commentator Derek Rae discuss German football identity and its relationship with US soccer.

Berlin Wall photo from Robert Conrad

Berlin Wall photo from Robert Conrad

5,000 photos from the fall of the Berlin Wall

When the Berlin Wall fell, Robert Conrad was obsessed with taking pictures of its demolition.

People sitting on Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989

People sitting on Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989

The day the Berlin Wall came down

The Cold War in Europe ended in Berlin on November 9, 1989 — the culmination of events set in motion long beforehand.

The Berlin Wall, Our Family and Us

What was life like in East Germany? How does the division of Germany still affect it even now?

Bettina Stehkämper and her husband

Bettina Stehkämper and her husband

Finding love during German reunification

Our relationship began the year the Berlin Wall fell — and felt the weight of being an East-West couple.

German unification celebrations in Berlin in 1990

German unification celebrations in Berlin in 1990

United Germany? The East lags behind

Three decades on from reunification, Germany is still a divided country in many ways.

Sign advising people to cover their mouths and noses with a mask, in German and English

Sign advising people to cover their mouths and noses with a mask, in German and English

Coronavirus: Broad support for German measures

A new poll has explored issues of German identity 30 years after reunification, along with views on coronavirus rules.

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Everything you need to know about German reunification

Reunifying Germany meant contending with the 20th century's fundamental rivalry of capitalism vs. communism.

Berlin after World War II - the city was in ruins (archival photo)

Berlin after World War II - the city was in ruins (archival photo)

'Zero hour' for Germany — in more ways than one

The aftermath of World War II was dubbed "zero hour" by Germans — a more prescient term than they realized at the time.

Fritz Walter celebrates the win

Fritz Walter celebrates the win

The Miracle of Bern: West Germany's 1954 World Cup win

West Germany were just semi-professional when they lifted the World Cup in 1954. The unlikely win helped heal a nation.

Shadow of a man drinking out of a bottle

Shadow of a man drinking out of a bottle

East Germans drink more alcohol, eat better

A study of differences in lifestyle risk factors among German regions has traced them to sociohistorical roots.

Hans Tikowski, pictured in 2016.

Hans Tikowski, pictured in 2016.

Germany's 1966 World Cup goalkeeper Tilkowski dies at 84

Hans Tilkowski was the Dortmund and West Germany goalie best known for conceding a controversial goal in the 1966 final.

Reinhard Strecker

Reinhard Strecker

The student who hunted Nazi judges

Many former Nazi judges continued to work in West Germany's judiciary — until one brave student shined the spotlight.

Berlin Wall in 1969

Berlin Wall in 1969

Germany largely abolishes eastern solidarity tax

Under the scheme, people from western Germany pay a subsidy to support the former East.

Linda Vierecke

Linda Vierecke

Take interest in Germany's East!

Linda Vierecke

Thirty years after the Berlin Wall fell, we're only now grasping how brutal the transformation was for East Germans.

DW Sendung To the Point E Totale

DW Sendung To the Point E Totale

30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall: What happened to the euphoria?

Germany celebrates 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. A success story for everyone?

DW Sendung To the Point E Totale

DW Sendung To the Point E Totale

30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall: What happened to the euphoria?

Germany celebrates 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. A success story for everyone?

Wolf Biermann

Wolf Biermann

How a 1976 concert shook the Berlin Wall

In November 1976, East German musician Wolf Biermann took the stage in West Germany — with historic consequences.

Berlin Checkpoint Charlie

Berlin Checkpoint Charlie

They said I had a 'look of uncertainty'

DW reporter Hardy Graupner remembers the optimism and trepidation he felt when the Wall fell.

East- West German inequality

East- West German inequality

Germans' life satisfaction keeps climbing upward

A new survey shows Germans are happier than they have been in the last 30 years, though views differ from west to east.

Kinderarmut in Deutschland

Kinderarmut in Deutschland

Born in 1989

The Berlin Wall fell 30 years ago, and a generation who never knew divided Germany has grown up, says DW's Greta Hamann.

Kommentarfoto Kay-Alexander Scholz Hauptstadtstudio

Kommentarfoto Kay-Alexander Scholz Hauptstadtstudio

German unification — Next generation, please!

Kay-Alexander Scholz

Has German unification been accomplished, three decades on? By no means, says Kay-Alexander Scholz.

Deutschland Uli Hoeneß

Deutschland Uli Hoeneß

Bayern Munich President Uli Hoeness: A reign ends

Almost 50 years after he began playing for them, Uli Hoeness' time at Bayern Munich is ending. Time for a look back.

Berlin Wall victims remembered

Berlin is remembering escapees killed and traumatized at its former Soviet-era Wall before reunification in 1990.

The German constitution, or Grundgesetz, with confetti on top of it

The German constitution, or Grundgesetz, with confetti on top of it

Tracing the path of German democracy

As Germany's constitution turns 70, DW visit landmarks in Bonn that witnessed the early days of post-war democracy.

Deutscher Fußball Botschafter - Bernd Schuster ehemaliger Spieler und Fußball-Trainer

Deutscher Fußball Botschafter - Bernd Schuster ehemaliger Spieler und Fußball-Trainer

Bernd Schuster: 'Ter Stegen should be Germany's No. 1'

Bernd Schuster spoke to DW about his move to Spain and two of his countrymen who have followed in his footsteps.

Ruins of a villa intended for former West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer in Duppach, Germany

Ruins of a villa intended for former West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer in Duppach, Germany

Villa built for former Chancellor Adenauer sold

It was one of the major corruption scandals of 1950s West Germany. Now, its ruins have a new owner.

Chile gedenkt Opfer der Militärdiktatur

Chile gedenkt Opfer der Militärdiktatur

Germany cagey on spy cooperation in Pinochet's Chile

The German Foreign Ministry has refused to shed light on the BND's cooperation with the CIA in Augusto Pinochet's Chile.

Yugoslavian guest workers at the Frankfurt train station in 1970

Yugoslavian guest workers at the Frankfurt train station in 1970

Come for a year, stay for a lifetime

Fifty years ago, West Germany signed a labor agreement with the socialist government of Yugoslavia.

The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin is decorated with pictures from the day the wall fell

The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin is decorated with pictures from the day the wall fell

Changing minds and perceptions

We explore national unity in Germany, learn how sound influences our mental health and check out Berlin's Oktoberfest.