As of: October 2nd, 2023 9:05 p.m
The central celebrations for German Unity Day will take place in Hamburg this year. At the beginning of November, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will take over the chairmanship of the state chamber and will host the celebrations next year.
The upcoming Federal Council Presidency of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has the motto “Set sail as one”. Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) announced this on Monday in Schwerin. Setting sail is fitting for a federal state with a lot of water like Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. And it also describes the task that Germany faces. A highlight of the presidency will be the organization of the Day of German Unity in Schwerin in 2024. The central celebrations for tomorrow’s German Unity Day will take place in Hamburg this year. A citizens’ festival around the town hall begins in the Hanseatic city today.
Further information
The citizens’ festival for German Unity Day has begun in Hamburg. The federal states, among others, present themselves in the city center. more
Schwesig: Democracy under pressure
During the celebrations on October 3rd, Hamburg’s First Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD), as the current host, will symbolically hand over the baton to Prime Minister Schwesig. On November 1st, Schwesig will also take over the Federal Council presidency from Tschentscher. It is the third time that Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has held the presidency. There is currently a sense of pressure on democracy, Schwesig warned on Monday in Schwerin’s Seglerheim, and literally: “We have to give answers to urgent questions. Otherwise we will leave room for a politics of simple slogans.”
Motto: “Set sail as one”
The country takes responsibility in times of upheaval, Schwesig continued to explain the motto. Flight and migration moved people, as did Russia’s brutal attack on Ukraine. People also worried about rising prices. At the same time, digitalization is changing everyday life. “Set sail as one” – that, according to Schwesig, means using the strengths of the unit and taking on the challenge together, no matter where the wind blows.
Day of German Unity: A holiday with a ceremony
On October 3, 1990, the GDR joined the Federal Republic. In the unification agreement, October 3rd was designated as a public holiday. The official celebration takes place in the capital or another major city of the federal state that provides the President of the Federal Council. Hamburg will host the celebrations in 2023.
Unity celebrations and events in the country
There are also a number of events and open doors in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania for this year’s holiday. For example, in Neubrandenburg there is the charity concert “We together” on the occasion of the 33rd day of reunification, a festival concert in the name of East-West exchange in the Golden Hall in Schwerin or a reading on “Eastern Consciousness” with Valerie Schönian in Wismar. There will be an XXL fireworks display on Usedom: on the beach from Karlshagen via Zinnowitz to the Imperial Baths on the border with Poland – over a distance of 42 kilometers – fireworks will be set off every 10 minutes. Also museums and historical exhibitions such as “Turning Points” in Amt Neuhaus Darchau border tower and that Grenzhus in Schlagsdorf are open to visitors on German Unity Day.
Further information
On October 3, 1990, the GDR joined the Federal Republic and reunification was complete. There was a lot of controversy about the date. more
For the first time, the University of Rostock is researching the long-term health consequences of reprisals against people in the GDR. more
With the end of the GDR on October 3, 1990, the NVA was also dissolved and the bases were closed. What was, what remained? more
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NDR 1 Radio MV | News from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | Oct 2, 2023 | 8:00 p.m