German Unity Day
“DAY of German Unity” is the National Day of Germany, which was celebrated yesterday, October 3, to mark the day in 1990 when the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) reunited. The day has been celebrated as a public holiday with a traditional festival around Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Activities held to mark the day are generally family-oriented and include horseback riding, karaoke, theater performances, dice games, fairground attractions and a big wheel that offers great views of the Tiergarten. Tiergarten is Berlin’s most popular inner-city park, located completely in the district of the same name, and is among the largest gardens in Germany.
After the Second World War, Germany was split into the East Germany and West Germany. East Germany erected the Berlin Wall, which separated families for decades. In 1989, a peaceful revolu- tion in the GDR led to the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9 of that same year. Free elections were held in 1990, which resulted in the GDR being dissolved and Germany officially reuniting on October 3.
The Federal Republic of Germany shares land borders with Poland and the Czech Republic in the east; Denmark in the north; Austria in the southeast; Switzerland in the south-southwest; Belgium, France, and Luxembourg in the west; and the Netherlands in the northwest. Its capital is the city state of Berlin, which is the seat of the President of Germany, whose official residence is Schloss Bellevue.
Among the interesting sites in Germany are: Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, a towering 26-meter high structure modeled in the Acropolis of Athens. The Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Mary, Kölner Dom, is Cologne’s most impressive landmark, a masterpiece of High Gothic architecture, one of the largest cathedrals in Europe. The Black Forest with its dark, densely wooded hills, is among the most visited upland regions in Europe. And the Neuschwanstein Castle is one of Europe’s most famous royal castles.
Germany and Philippines have long maintained strong, positive and friendly relations. October 8, 2014, officially marked the 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Germany has an embassy in Makati City with honorary consulate in Cebu and Davao. The Philippines has an embassy in Berlin with consulates in Baden-Württemberg, Dresden, Essen, Hesse, and Munich.
We greet the People and Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, led by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, on the occasion of its National Day.