West Germany

West Germany^{[lower-alpha 1]} was the Federal Republic of Germany from its formation on 23 May 1949 until its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. During the Cold War, the western portion of Germany and the associated territory of West Berlin were parts of the Western Bloc. West Germany was formed as a political entity during the Allied occupation of Germany after World War II, established from 12 states formed in the three Allied zones of occupation held by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. The capital was the city of Bonn, hence the Cold War-era country is sometimes known as the Bonn Republic (German: Bonner Republik).^[4]

Quick Facts Federal Republic of GermanyBundesrepublik Deutschland (German), Capital ...

Federal Republic of Germany Bundesrepublik Deutschland (German)
1949–1990(g)
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Gott mit uns "God with us" (1949–1962) Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit "Unity and Justice and Freedom" (since 1962)
Anthem:  Ich hab mich ergeben "I have surrendered myself" (unofficial, 1949–1952)[1] Deutschlandlied (a) "Song of Germany" (1952–1990)
Location of West Germany (dark green) in Europe (dark grey) Show globe Location of West Germany (dark green) in Europe (dark grey) Show map of Europe   Territory of West Germany   Lands of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), claimed by West Germany until 1973   Lands of pre-1937 Germany that were annexed by Poland and the Soviet Union after World War II, claimed by West Germany until 1972 Show territorial claims
Capital	Bonn(f)
Largest city	Hamburg
Official languages	German
Religion	See Religion in West Germany
Demonym(s)	West German German
Government	Federal parliamentary constitutional republic
President
• 1949–1959 (first)	Theodor Heuss
• 1984–1990 (last)	Richard von Weizsäcker(b)
Chancellor
• 1949–1963 (first)	Konrad Adenauer
• 1982–1990 (last)	Helmut Kohlc
Legislature	Bicameralism
• Upper house	Bundesrat
• Lower house	Bundestag
Historical era	Cold War
• Formation	23 May 1949
• Bonn–Paris conventions	5 May 1955
• Member of NATO	9 May 1955
• Saar statute	1 January 1957
• Creation of EEC	25 March 1957
• Basic Treaty with the GDR	21 December 1972
• Admitted to the UN	18 September 1973
• Final Settlement	12 September 1990
• Reunification	3 October 1990(g)
Area
• Total	248,717 km2 (96,030 sq mi)
Population
• 1950(d)	50,958,000
• 1970	61,001,000
• 1990	63,254,000
• Density	254/km2 (657.9/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	1990 estimate
• Total	~$1.0 trillion (4th)
Currency	Deutsche Mark(e) (DM) (DEM)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Calling code	+49
Internet TLD	.de
Preceded by Succeeded by British occupation zone in Germany American occupation zone in Germany French occupation zone in Germany Federal Republic of Germany since 1990
Today part of	Germany
From 1952 to 1991, the official national anthem of Germany was Deutschlandlied in its entirety, but only the third stanza was to be sung at official events.[2] Continued as President of the reunified Germany until 1994. Continued as Chancellor of the reunified Germany until 1998. Population statistics according to Federal Statistical Office of Germany.[3] In the state of Saarland, between January 1957 and July 1959, the French franc and Saar franc. At first, Bonn was referred to only as the provisional seat of government institutions, but from the early 1970s it was called the "federal capital" (Bundeshauptstadt). The state did not cease to exist after reunification but continued as the Federal Republic in an enlarged territory.

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At the onset of the Cold War, Europe was divided between the Western and Eastern blocs. Germany was divided into the two countries. Initially, West Germany claimed an exclusive mandate for all of Germany, representing itself as the sole democratically reorganised continuation of the 1871–1945 German Reich.^[5]

Three southwestern states of West Germany merged to form Baden-Württemberg in 1952, and the Saarland joined West Germany as a state in 1957 after it had been separated as the Saar Protectorate from Allied-occupied Germany by France (the separation had been not fully legal as it had been opposed by the Soviet Union). In addition to the resulting ten states, West Berlin was considered an unofficial de facto eleventh state. While de jure not part of West Germany, for Berlin was under the control of the Allied Control Council (ACC), West Berlin politically aligned itself with West Germany and was directly or indirectly represented in its federal institutions.

The foundation for the influential position held by Germany today was laid during the economic miracle of the 1950s (Wirtschaftswunder), when West Germany rose from the enormous destruction wrought by World War II to become the world's second-largest economy. The first chancellor Konrad Adenauer, who remained in office until 1963, worked for a full alignment with the NATO rather than neutrality, and secured membership in the military alliance. Adenauer was also a proponent of agreements that developed into the present-day European Union. When the G6 was established in 1975, there was no serious debate as to whether West Germany would become a member.

Following the collapse of the Eastern Bloc, symbolised by the opening of the Berlin Wall, both states took action to achieve German reunification. East Germany voted to dissolve and accede to the Federal Republic of Germany in 1990. The five post-war states (Länder) were reconstituted, along with the reunited Berlin, which ended its special status and formed an additional Land. They formally joined the federal republic on 3 October 1990, raising the total number of states from ten to sixteen, and ending the division of Germany. The reunited Germany is the direct continuation of the state previously informally called West Germany and not a new state, as the process was essentially a voluntary act of accession: the Federal Republic of Germany was enlarged to include the additional six states of the German Democratic Republic. The expanded Federal Republic retained West Germany's political culture and continued its existing memberships in international organisations, as well as its Western foreign policy alignment and affiliation to Western alliances such as the United Nations, NATO, OECD, and the European Economic Community.