Quiz of the Day
Germany — Reunification and Beyond
Saturday, 3 October 2026
Anchored to German Unity Day (October 3, 1990), spanning the Berlin Wall, German history, culture, and landmarks
1. On what date is German Unity Day (Tag der Deutschen Einheit) celebrated each year?
- August 13
- November 9
- May 8
- October 3
German Unity Day marks October 3, 1990, the day East and West Germany formally reunited. It is Germany's national holiday. Lawmakers chose this date over November 9 (the night the Berlin Wall fell) partly because November 9 is also the anniversary of the 1938 Kristallnacht pogrom.
2. In what year did East and West Germany officially reunify?
- 1993
- 1989
- 1990
- 1991
Reunification took legal effect on October 3, 1990, less than a year after the Berlin Wall fell. The five states of the former East Germany joined the Federal Republic of Germany. The process was formalized under Article 23 of West Germany's Basic Law.
3. In what year did the Berlin Wall fall?
- 1989
- 1991
- 1990
- 1987
The Berlin Wall was breached on the night of November 9, 1989, after an East German official mistakenly announced that border crossings were open immediately. Crowds surged to the checkpoints and guards eventually let them through. The peaceful opening became one of the defining images of the end of the Cold War.
4. Which city became the capital of reunified Germany?
- Bonn
- Frankfurt
- Munich
- Berlin
Berlin was designated the capital of reunified Germany, though Bonn had served as West Germany's capital during the Cold War. The Bundestag voted in 1991 to move the seat of government to Berlin. The relocation of the parliament and chancellery was largely completed by 1999.
5. What was the official name of East Germany?
- German Federal State
- Federal Republic of Germany
- Weimar Republic
- German Democratic Republic
East Germany's official name was the German Democratic Republic (GDR), or Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR) in German. West Germany was the Federal Republic of Germany. The GDR existed from 1949 until reunification in 1990.
6. Which German chancellor led the country during reunification and is nicknamed the 'Chancellor of Unity'?
- Konrad Adenauer
- Willy Brandt
- Gerhard Schröder
- Helmut Kohl
Helmut Kohl was West German chancellor from 1982 and steered the rapid reunification of 1990. He is often called the 'Chancellor of Unity' for his role in the process. He remained chancellor of the reunified Germany until 1998, making him the longest-serving postwar German leader at the time.
7. The famous Cold War crossing point between the American and Soviet sectors of Berlin was known as what?
- Checkpoint Alpha
- Checkpoint Bravo
- Glienicke Bridge
- Checkpoint Charlie
Checkpoint Charlie was the best-known crossing point between East and West Berlin, located in the American sector. Its name comes from the NATO phonetic alphabet — it was the third such checkpoint, after Alpha and Bravo. In 1961 it was the site of a tense standoff between American and Soviet tanks.
8. The Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of German division and later reunification, stands in which city?
- Dresden
- Berlin
- Cologne
- Hamburg
The Brandenburg Gate was completed in 1791 and stood in the no-man's-land beside the Berlin Wall during the Cold War. Once a symbol of a divided Germany, it became an emblem of reunification when the Wall opened. It remains one of Berlin's most recognizable landmarks.
9. What was the name of East Germany's feared secret police?
- Gestapo
- SS
- Stasi
- KGB
The Stasi was East Germany's Ministry for State Security, one of the most pervasive surveillance agencies in history. It relied on a vast network of informants to monitor ordinary citizens. After reunification, many of its files were preserved and made accessible to the people it had spied on.
10. What was Germany's national currency before it adopted the euro?
- Guilder
- Deutsche Mark
- Schilling
- Franc
The Deutsche Mark, often called the D-Mark, was West Germany's currency and became the currency of reunified Germany. It was prized for its stability throughout the postwar era. Germany replaced it with euro banknotes and coins in 2002.
11. In what year was the Berlin Wall first constructed?
- 1953
- 1949
- 1961
- 1968
Construction of the Berlin Wall began on August 13, 1961, as East Germany sought to stop the flood of citizens fleeing to the West. It began as barbed wire and quickly grew into a fortified concrete barrier. The Wall divided the city for 28 years.
12. Which small East German car, known for its two-stroke engine and plastic body, became an icon of the former GDR?
- Lada
- Volkswagen Beetle
- Wartburg
- Trabant
The Trabant, affectionately nicknamed the 'Trabi', was East Germany's most common car, built in Zwickau. Its body was made of Duroplast, a hard plastic reinforced with cotton and resin. Waiting lists to buy one could stretch for more than a decade, and Trabis became a symbol of GDR nostalgia after 1989.
13. The Reichstag building in Berlin houses which institution?
- The Chancellery
- The German parliament (Bundestag)
- The Federal Court
- The Federal Bank
The Reichstag has housed the Bundestag, Germany's federal parliament, since the government returned to Berlin. After reunification the building was renovated by architect Norman Foster, who added a striking glass dome. Visitors can walk up inside the dome and look down into the parliamentary chamber.
14. The 'Two Plus Four Treaty' that paved the way for reunification involved the two German states plus which four powers?
- US, Soviet Union, Poland, and Italy
- UK, France, Italy, and the Netherlands
- US, UK, France, and Poland
- US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union
The Two Plus Four Treaty was signed in Moscow on September 12, 1990, by East and West Germany plus the four powers that had occupied Germany after World War II: the United States, Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. It restored full sovereignty to a united Germany. The agreement cleared the last international hurdles to reunification weeks before it took effect.
15. Oktoberfest, the world's largest folk festival, is held annually in which German city?
- Frankfurt
- Munich
- Stuttgart
- Berlin
Oktoberfest takes place each year in Munich, the capital of Bavaria, and draws roughly six million visitors. It began in 1810 as a celebration of the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria. Despite its name, the festival now begins in September and runs into early October.