Germany History

There is no future without the past, - the proverb says. The history and present of Germany prove this fact for sure. Unfortunately very little is known about early Germanic history. The German nation grew out of several German tribes, among which the Franks, the Saxons, the Swabians and the Bavarians. Step by step the Germanic tribes adopted Christianity and laid the foundations of medieval Europe. In the 10-11th centuries in Germany began the era of the feudal society. In 1157 the Germanic empire was called the Holy Roman Empire, which consisted of princely states. In the early middle ages the population of the country was rapidly increasing, there was the prosperity of trade and commerce. In the 16th century divisions between nations became more and more evident. The Thirty Years War was a result of the constantly growing contradictions between Protestants’ and Catholics’ believes. After the hard period of Reformation, at last Germany experienced the time of relative peace and stability. The year of 1871 became a decisive period for Germany, when the southern states joined new German Empire with William I as the emperor.

"The German is like a willow. No matter which way you bend him, he will always take root again." – said one well-known Russian writer. It is true to life. After Word War II the country was hit by Depression. High percentage of unemployment, numerous strikes and demonstrations practically ruined the economy. But Germany had survived. After the beginning of the Third Reich with Adolph Hitler in the head of the country, new period of German history began. The most striking hit was the defeat in World War II. And Germany had survived again, but was divided into four zones: American, British, French and Russian. In September 1949 there appeared the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), including three western zones. As for the German Democratic Republic (GDR), it was founded in the Soviet zone the following month, consisting of easten parts with Berlin as its capital. A great economic gap between poor east and quite developed west characterised the country at that period. As a result of several tries to cross the boader, in 1961 Berlin Wall appeared, symbolizing a barrier to freedom for the inhabitants of GDR. At last in 1989 the communist tyranny collapsed. Berlin Wall was open and Germany was reunited on 3 October 1990.

Nowdays Germany is a modern, cosmopolitan country with democratic society and highly-developed economy. It is a land of innovation, which gave the world the automobile, the printing press, aspirin and MP3 technology. It can boast the world’s forth largest economy. It takes the leading position in European affairs, being a member of United Nations, NATO, G8, G20, the OECD and other world organizations.

Germany regularly hosts different sport competitions. In 2006 the Football World Cup was organized here. In 2009 the IAAF Athletics World Championships was held in Berlin. Germany is a country of festivals, the most popular of which is of course Oktoberfest, attracting beer-fans from all over the world. If you plan to visit Germany, be sure you will be satisfied with your choice because the country is worth seeing.