30th Anniversary of German Unity Day

Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Berlin-based guest artist Christoph Niemann, commemorates German Unity Day or Tag der Deutschen Einheit on the 30th anniversary of the country's reunification. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall in late 1989, government officials from East and West Germany signed an agreement on August 31, 1990, that consolidated the two countries into one nation. Known as the Unification Treaty, the historic resolution went into effect just over a month later on October 3rd, a date now celebrated each year as a national holiday across Germany.

Einen schönen Tag der Deutschen Einheit! Happy German Unity Day!

Guest Artist Q&A with Christoph Niemann

Today’s Doodle was illustrated by Berlin-based guest artist Christoph Niemann. Below, he shares his thoughts behind the making of this Doodle:

Q: Why was this topic meaningful to you personally? 

A: I grew up in West Germany and the division of East and West Germany seemed like an eternal fact. When the wall came down however, it felt like suddenly the continents had shifted.

Q: What were your first thoughts when you were approached about the project?

A: In many ways, it's a terrific cause for celebration. Families that had been torn apart were reunited. Everybody was finally able to travel, work, study and live wherever they want. It is hard to fathom that a few meters from where I live (in former East Berlin), a frontier ran right down a residential street. 

That said, the process has been less than perfect. Economically, it has created lasting hardship for many, especially in the East. Many people feel the East was simply forced to adopt the West German system, without really taking into account cultural, economic, and social differences.

Q: Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle?

A: I quickly felt that a house was a good metaphor to integrate in the Doodle: it's a place we can call home. But a building is something that can consist of different parts. I wanted to show that the Germany of today consists of different elements with peculiar histories, and not one bland homogenous entity.

Q: What do you hope people take away from your Doodle?

A: That having a country with different cultures and identities can be a good thing. When we talk about cultural differences, I feel we often immediately think: "Problem!" Germany is fortunately a very diverse country. And this diversity —geography, food, dialects, ethnicities— should be celebrated as much as the historic events of 89/90.