VOA常速英语:Germany Marks 20th Anniversary of Reunification

Twenty years ago, Germany officially reunified, ending more than four decades of separation.  The divide between East and West was social, economic and cultural, and Germany has invested billions of dollars to unify the nation.  Jennifer Glasse went to unification anniversary celebrations in Berlin and filed this report.

A preserved section of the Berlin Wall that once separated this city is one of  the few signs that Berlin was ever divided.  Checkpoint Charlie, the crossing point between East and West and where American and Soviet tanks confronted each other in 1961, is now a tourist spot.

And Germans partied in front of the Brandenberg Gate all weekend, celebrating unity.

It was here, more than two decades ago that American President Ronald Reagan helped start the series of events that led to unification.

"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall," said Mr. Reagan at the time.

Two years later the wall did come down, paving the way for Germany to reunite.  That would take another year.

When the bubble of communism burst, the system that had governed East Germany was swept away nearly overnight.  The laws, economy and capitalism of the West took over.  Angela Gehring was 10-years old and lived in East Berlin, when the country reunited.

"Now the difference between East and West Germany?  I think it is still money, and also partly the attitude of people.  There was more solidarity between people, we were living more together," she said.

In what was once called "the death zone" is one of Berlin's most modern shopping and living complexes.  Germany has invested billions of dollars rebuilding not only Berlin, but the infrastructure of the former East Germany.  Economic success has not reached everyone says historian Juliane Schuterle. "One of the surveys  says 45 percent of the East Germans are feeling that they did not benefit, or did not profit by the reunification, but that means that more than a half do not think that, they are, I think, not so disappointed, not so frustrated," she said.

German President Christian Wulff acknowledged the burdens of unity. "It was the East Germans who by far carried the heaviest weight on the path towards the unification of our country.  They in some ways had to start their lives all over again.  They needed to rearrange their daily lives, take advantage of opportunities and they did it with an incredible readiness to accept change. To this day, this has not been honoured enough," he said.

As well as the party here in Berlin, the government held the official reunification celebration in the northern German city of Bremen.  Each year the commemoration is held in a different part of Germany to symbolize the nation's unity.

Perhaps no one is a greater symbol of unity and opportunity than German Chancellor Angela Merkel, brought up in East Germany.

Many Germans say they felt reunification was complete four years ago, when they hosted the World Cup Soccer tournament.  They say at that time they felt they were truly one Germany.

There are still economic and social divisions, but 20 years after reunification, many Germans no longer think of the country in terms of East and West but as one nation that survived a peaceful revolution and has retaken its place as a leader in Europe.