The city of Halle (Saale)this year’s host city for the Day of German Unity
The city of Halle (Saale) is very pleased to be this year’s host city for the Day of German Unity. Today Halle (Saale) presents itself as a lively, cosmopolitan and growing city in central Germany - with an impressive wealth of culture and science. As one of the greenest German cities, the birthplace of Georg Friedrich Handel offers a unique triad of culture, economy and science - the basis for a successful future as a vital regional center in the European metropolitan region of Central Germany.
Germany at a glance
Germany is a cosmopolitan country shaped by a pluralism of lifestyles. It has a population of 83.1 million.
Federal Eagle
The Federal Eagle is the German state symbol that is the richest in tradition. The Federal President, the Bundesrat, the Federal Constitutional Court, and the Bundestag use differently styled eagles. The eagles that appear on coins and the national strip of German sports associations also differ in terms of design.
Flag
The Basic Law states that the colours of the federal flag shall be black, red, and gold. In 1949, this followed on from the flag of the first German republic of 1919.
Currency
The euro has been the legal tender in Germany since 1 January 2002. It replaced the deutschmark, which had been in use since 1948. The European Central Bank ( ECB) is headquartered in the German financial centre Frankfurt am Main.
Basic Law
Passed in 1949 in Bonn, the Basic Law was initially intended to be provisional. After reunification in 1990 the version was then adopted as the permanent constitution. The 146 Articles of the Basic Law supersede all other German legal norms and define the basic systems and values of the state.
National Holiday
As the Day of German Unity, in the Unification Treaty of 1990 3 October was declared a national holiday in Germany. The Day of German Unity is the only national holiday to be determined by federal law.