and it is also a very special day for German people; a time during which the dream of a generation came true, and the peaceful resistance and determination with which GDR citizens overcame that separation to later become a united, democratic and free nation.
The unification treaty, consisting of more than 1,000 pages, was approved by a large majority in the Bundestag and the Volkskammer on September 20, 1990. After this last procedural step, nothing stood in the way of formal unification. At midnight on October 3, the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany.
Unification celebrations were held all over Germany, especially in Berlin, where leading political figures from East and West joined the joyful crowds who filled the streets between the Reichstag building and Alexanderplatz, to watch a fireworks display.
The Germans celebrated unity without a hint of nationalistic pathos, but with dignity and in an atmosphere reminiscent of a country fair. Yet the world realized that a historic epoch had come to a peaceful end.
The reception hosted by the German ambassador to Venezuela Hermann Erath, was very pleasant, and with a delightful fun touch, because one of the main themes of the evening was football, since as everyone knows Germany is hosting the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
This was the perfect time to befit the motto “A time to make friends”. We also enjoyed the great culinary German specialties like sausages, a variety of delicious meats, and some typical salads.

By Luisa Osorio
Special to The Journal
Photos by Luis Iván Mejías