20 years of German unity

German post issued a postage stamp to celebrate 20 years of German unity. The end of the second World War, and thus of the Nazi brought the loss of one of Germany east of the Oder-Neisse line lying areas and thus Germany was divided into four occupation zones.

This occupation zones were under the Soviet territory on the one hand and the democratic part of Europe / the U.S. on the other. Because of the incompatibility of the ideologies of these two “camps” the division of Germany was so great that it formed in 1949, two German (partial) states: The Federal Republic of Germany and the GDR.

40 years had stock this separation of the German people, the separation of families and friends. In 1989 a set in many cities of the former GDR large peaceful demonstrations. The people took to the streets because they meet the economic crisis of the GDR and to other countries (eg Poland) is much higher limits of civil rights no longer wanted to accept.

The objectives of communism was not to make more plausible, since one of the difficult economic conditions in the entire Soviet bloc recognized. The policy of détente between the great powers in East and West, from which the citizens of the GDR in daily life – in contrast to other nations – nothing felt, and, against all the proven election fraud in May 1989 to the demonstrations underlying, large and not irrepressible annoyance. The limits were – to the surprise of all – faster and less problematic, when the people had thought and hoped.

Title: 20 years of German unity
Date of Issue: 9 September 2010
Country: Germany
Denominations: 0,55 Euro