German Reunification Day 2019

Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Hamburg-based guest artist Lisa Tegtmeier, celebrates the Tag der Deutschen Einheit, or German Reunification Day. A 1990 treaty known as the Einigungsvertrag designated October 3rd as the day when the separate nations of East and West Germany were transformed into one state, the Federal Republic of Germany, ending almost forty years of division. The anniversary of this treaty is now a national holiday commemorating the spirit of unity in Germany. As Germany prepares to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall, this holiday has assumed even greater importance.

On German Reunification Day, an open-air fair takes place near Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, featuring stage shows, food stalls, games, and other family-friendly activities. Each year one of Germany’s 16 states hosts a Bürgerfest, or citizens’ festival. This year is Schleswig-Holstein’s turn, and the northwestern state has chosen the theme Mut verbindet, or “courage connects.” To mark the occasion, the state is encouraging each of Germany’s 82 million citizens to plant a tree, envisioning a new forest in honor of German unity. 

Glücklich Tag der Deutschen Einheit!

Guest Artist Q&A with Lisa Tegtmeier

Today's Doodle was created by Hamburg-based guest artist Lisa Tegtmeier. Below she shares her thoughts on the making of the Doodle:

Q: Why was this topic meaningful to you personally?

A: The topic is important to me only insofar as I take the reunification for granted. I belong to the generation that was born during or after German reunification and didn't consciously experience a divided country. We know the time when Germany was still divided and the famous pictures of the opening of the wall only from television and our relative's stories. 

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

A: I was extremely happy to get the chance to visualize my view of the reunification through illustration. I felt very honored and was of course super excited!  

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

A: Immediately I had the images in mind of cheering people streaming through the opened border crossing from East to West Berlin. For me, this is the symbol of reunification and the essential I wanted to show in the illustration, together with celebration and the joy of the people.
Cheerful crowds are my favorite topic to draw, so this was a perfect match.

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

A: I hope that people look back on the reunification and the fall of the Wall and remember that it doesn't matter where we come from—we are all the same. I wish that people would have less prejudice against each other. There is no East or West German anymore. Only these prejudices maintain long-overcome alleged differences.