German unity

The question of a possible unity of Germany was posed and answered differently in the 19th century than in the divided Germany after the Second World War (for an overview, see the German question open until 1990 ).

Accordingly, the term German unity can refer to different ideas, models and solutions, especially:

• the idea of ​​a unified German state at the time of the German Confederation (1815–1866) and partly afterwards:
  • Greater German solution : unification of all member states in the federal territory
  • Small German solution : unification of the member states without the Austrian federal territories
  • North German solution in the form of the Erfurt Union and later the North German Confederation (1867–1871): Prussia and other areas in north and central Germany

• the establishment of unity in the German Empire (from 1871), see Forging a German Empire
• the requirement of reunification during the division of Germany (1949–1990)
• the German reunification (1990) and the unit thus produced

Today, the term German unity is generally related to reunification (1990). To distinguish it from other meanings, the spelling German unit is often chosen in this context .

See also

• Frankfurt National Assembly (1848): Vote in favor of the small German solution
• German unification
• German Wars of Unification (1864–1871)
• Third Germany
• Germany as a whole
• Day of German unity
• Band of unity