Germany is a highly developed and prosperous country located in Central Europe. It has a population of over 83 million people and is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is home to one of the world’s largest economies, and it has an impressive infrastructure, excellent educational institutions, and a vibrant cultural… Read More »
Germany – geography Germany – Geography, Landscape The whole of northern Germany is a lowland area, which consists of moraine and meltwater deposits. The coastal area facing the North Sea consists for the most part of sand surfaces, dunes and marsh areas. Along the coast are the East Frisian and North Frisian Islands. The rivers… Read More »
More and more tourists are finding their way to our eastern neighbours. The country has a great diversity of festivities, nice cities, a fascinating landscape and ancient culture to offer. Cities such as Hamburg, Berlin and Düsseldorf make many a fashion-loving heart beat faster. But the cafes and clubs in Germany are also often good… Read More »
According to Nonprofit Dictionary, the Black Forest is a densely forested area in the southwestern part of Germany near both the Swiss and French borders. The Black Forest is located in the state of Baden-Württenberg. It is one of the most popular holiday areas in Germany. Hundreds of thousands of tourists flock to this beautiful… Read More »
Subchapters: Basic data Public finances and the state budget Banking system Tax system Basic data Germany is the largest economy in the EU and the fourth largest economy in the world (after the USA, China and Japan). It owes its competitiveness and position in the world economy to its innovative capabilities and pro-export orientation. In… Read More »
Embassy in Germany Germany, embassy in Moscow Address: 119285 Moscow, st. Mosfilmovskaya, 56 Opening hours: Monday: 08.00 – 17.00; Tuesday: 08.00 – 17.30; Wednesday – Thursday: 08.00 – 17.00; Friday: 08.00 – 15.00, lunch break: 13.00-13.45 During working hours, you can contact by phone: (+7 495) 937 95 00 interlocutor, during business hours you can… Read More »
Economy After reunification in 1990, significant subsidies previously received by West Berlin were gradually phased out. The industrial base of the former East Berlin declined dramatically over the next decade, leading to an unemployment rate of almost 20% and the stagnation of GDP growth rates until 2005. In 2006, Berlin’s nominal GDP experienced a growth rate of 1.5%… Read More »
Prehistory and origin (1945-49) The GDR was primarily a product of the socio-political changes that the Soviet occupying power implemented with the help of German communists between 1945 and 1949. On 9.6.1945 the USSR established the SMAD in the occupation zone assigned to it (1. – 4.7.1945 entry of the Soviet occupation troops into the… Read More »
Leading sovereigns and estates In addition to royalty, it was the sovereign territories that had a decisive influence on the history of the empire in the late Middle Ages. In addition to the Habsburgs, the leading regional princes included: the Wittelsbachers, since 1180 dukes of Bavaria, since 1214 count palatine near Rhine (Electoral Palatinate); the… Read More »
On 09.12.1960 took over W. Ulbricht - in addition to the leadership of the SED – the chair of the State Council, this replaced as “collective head of state” after the death Pieck the Office of the President; (7.9.) With his formation on February 10, 1960, Ulbricht had also become chairman of the “National Defense Council of the GDR”. On July… Read More »
After his victory over Ottokar II near Dürnkrut on the Marchfeld (August 25, 1278), he acquired his house in the duchies of Austria, Styria and Carniola (1282) and thus shifted the focus of Habsburg power from the west to the east. However, Rudolf neither achieved the imperial coronation in Rome nor the enforcement of the election of his sons… Read More »
The round table succeeded in pushing through the dissolution of the Ministry for State Security (MfS), which was renamed “Office for National Security” in November 1989; already on December 4th began with the occupation of the MfS district and district authorities by citizens’ committees, first on the morning of December 4th. in Erfurt, in fact… Read More »
The Empire as an Elective Monarchy While the dynastic principle and monarchical penetration of the empire prevailed in the kingdoms of Western Europe in the late Middle Ages, the Roman-German Empire remained an elective monarchy until its end in 1806, in which personal ties and the principles of consensual rule were preserved. The modern state… Read More »
The SED leadership was aware of the lack of legitimation for party rule. The constant expansion and refinement of the repressive apparatus resulted from the knowledge of the party leadership about the lack of political support in the population; especially since June 17, 1953 the fear of the citizens’ displeasure with the prevailing living conditions… Read More »
The expansion of Protestantism was not yet completed with the Peace of Augsburg. Despite the “spiritual reservation” (Reservatum ecclesiasticum), which was supposed to secure the possession of the Catholic-spiritual territories, v. a. in the north and east of the empire to further secularizations. In the disputes about the interpretation of the religious peace, which was… Read More »
As Honecker The social program at the beginning of the 1980s was throttled in view of the continuing economic weakness, repression (“decomposition” and “extensive” surveillance) and the ubiquity of the oppressive apparatus came to the fore again. The SED’s monopoly of power in state and society, however, could no longer compensate for the party’s lack of legitimacy.… Read More »
The most enduring result of Maximilian I’s dynastic policy was the unification of the empires of Aragon, Castile and Naples-Sicily with the Habsburg and Burgundian lands under the rule of his eldest grandson Charles in 1516. As Emperor Charles V (1519–56), Germany was just a side country to his Burgundian-Spanish empire. In his politics the struggle for Italy against France was… Read More »
On May 3, 1971 (official announcement) E. Honecker was elected First Secretary (since 1976 General Secretary) of the Central Committee of the SED and chairman of the National Defense Council after an intrigue of the Politburo, which he was instrumental in driving, as Ulbricht’s successor. After Ulbricht’s death (August 1st, 1973) Stoph took over the office of State Council Chairman, Horst Sindermann (* 1915,… Read More »
French revolutionary wars, dissolution of the empire The social and political foundations of the European states, however, suffered a decisive shock from the French Revolution of 1789. Their appeal to “freedom, equality and brotherhood” threatened the absolutist as well as the estate order in Germany, especially since the intervention of Austria and Prussia against France… Read More »
Despite initially moderate economic growth and a rising number of people in employment from 1988 onwards, the number of unemployed remained high, although a trend reversal appeared to be emerging at the end of the 1980s. In 1988/89, the Kohl government, with the votes of the CDU / CSU and FDP, pushed through various laws:… Read More »
After the “Great Elector” Friedrich Wilhelm (1640–88) had laid the foundations for the state expansion of his territories, Elector Friedrich III. of Brandenburg (since 1688) on January 18, 1701 in Königsberg, Prussia, which did not belong to the empire, became a kingdom (until 1713 king as Friedrich I), while the Wittelsbach elector Maximilian II. Emanuel von Bayern (1679–1726) received such an increase… Read More »
In 1979 she played a key role in setting up the European Monetary System to stabilize European currency parities. In the negotiations between Great Britain and the other partners of the European Community (EC) to reduce the British contribution, the Federal Government took a mediating position. It promoted the admission of Spain and Portugal to… Read More »
Creation of absolutist princely states The Reichstag, which met in Regensburg in 1663, developed into a permanent conference of ambassadors (“everlasting Reichstag”) of the imperial estates, v. a. of the sovereigns, in whose territories the focus of political life shifted. Here emerged – favored by the resolutions of the “Youngest Reichs Farewell” of the Regensburg… Read More »
With the “Letter on German Unity” to the Soviet leadership, which they wanted to be valued under international law as part of the Moscow Treaty, the Brandt government also sought to counter the serious reservations of the CDU / CSU with regard to the treaties. On April 27, 1972, the CDU / CSU tried in… Read More »
Consequences of the revolution The events of 1848 bore features of a social revolution, which led to a deep estrangement between liberals and democrats. Social and democratic motives carried the second wave of the revolution in the summer of 1848 (September 17 in Frankfurt am Main, September 21 in Baden). In May / June 1849,… Read More »
From the “little one” to the “grand coalition” (1963–66) On October 16, 1963 the Bundestag elected L. Erhard to the Federal Chancellor. Based on the “small coalition” (CDU, CSU, FDP), it sought to motivate all forces in business, culture and science to work together under the – ultimately never concretized – model of the “formed society”. Thanks… Read More »
Legitimacy of the monarchies as a guiding ideology The German Confederation founded by the German Federal Act (June 8th, 1815) was an amalgamation of sovereign princes and free cities. Substantial parts of Prussia (Posen, East and West Prussia) and Austria (especially the Hungarian half of the empire and Italian parts of the empire) were outside… Read More »
After the victory of the CDU and CSU in the elections on September 6, 1953, Adenauer formed a government supported by the CDU / CSU, FDP, DP and GB / BHE. In addition to reconstruction, the question of “rearmament” had become a central issue in German politics since 1950. The opposition left, especially the SPD, and political… Read More »
Break with the Bismarck alliance system That of Wilhelm II and Chancellor L. von Caprivi (1890–94) embarked on the »New Course« aimed at disentangling the complicated Bismarck system of alliances and at achieving an alliance with Great Britain; at the same time, despite Russian offers, the renewal of the reinsurance contract (1890) was waived. Russia then turned to France… Read More »
Prehistory and origin (1945-49) In the implementation of the common Allied principles for the treatment of Germany, as they had been laid down in the ” Berlin Four Power Declaration” of June 5, 1945 and the resolutions of the Potsdam Conference of August 2, 1945 for the four zones of occupation in Germany and the… Read More »