Exploring Germany and Your German Heritage

Germany’s history spans thousands of years, beginning with the early Germanic tribes who lived in central Europe, resisting Roman expansion and maintaining their own distinct cultures and territories. After the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 C.E., Germanic kingdoms rose in prominence, especially the kingdom of the Franks, whose leader, Charlemagne, expanded his empire and was crowned by the pope as emperor of the Romans in 800, laying the groundwork for what would become the Holy Roman Empire. Established in 962 under Otto I, the Holy Roman Empire was a loose federation of kingdoms, duchies, and principalities across central Europe that helped to give the German-speaking peoples a shared identity for centuries. It survived periods of turmoil, including the Protestant Reformation and the Thirty Years’ War, but ultimately dissolved in 1806 when Napoleon’s forces defeated it, leaving the German territories fragmented. One of the largest of these territories was Prussia.

In 1871, the dream of a unified Germany became a reality under Prussian Prime Minister Otto von Bismarck, who brought together German-speaking regions to form the German Empire, or Second Reich. This period marked Germany’s rise as an industrial and military power, setting the stage for its influence over European affairs. However, Germany’s defeat in World War I brought the empire to an end in 1918. The Treaty of Versailles placed heavy burdens on Germany, and the democratic Weimar Republic that followed was plagued by economic hardship and political instability. These issues fueled widespread resentment and helped the Nazi Party, led by Adolf Hitler, to gain power in 1933, leading to the establishment of the Third Reich.

Under Hitler’s rule, Germany pursued a militaristic agenda, sparking World War II and committing horrific atrocities, including the Holocaust. The Third Reich fell in 1945, and Germany was divided into occupation zones, eventually forming two separate states: West Germany, backed by the United States and its allies, and East Germany, controlled by the Soviet Union. The two Germanies became a focal point of the Cold War, with the Berlin Wall, dividing the former German capital in two, symbolizing the division between East and West. Despite these challenges, West Germany experienced a rapid economic recovery, known as the “economic miracle,” while East Germany remained under strict Soviet influence.

In 1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall marked a turning point, leading to German reunification in 1990. Berlin was restored as the capital of a unified Germany, which soon became a leader in the European Union, balancing its powerful economy with social challenges, such as immigration and economic disparities between the former East and West. Today, Germany is a federal republic of 16 states with a strong economy and democratic values that’s a central player in European and global affairs.

• Medieval Germany

• The German Empire and the First World War

• Germany Past and Present

• Aftermath of World War I and the Rise of Nazism

• The Im(Possibilities) of Escaping: Jewish Emigration 1933-42

• German Invasions and Alliances in World War II

• Remembering the Holocaust

• How Germany Was Divided After World War II

• The Berlin Wall

• What Happened in East Germany After the Wall Fell?