329 days – German reunification at breakneck speed – A parliamentarian’s inside view

About thirty years ago, German reunification took place in just 329 days, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the Unification Treaty. During this time and immediately afterwards, complicated, interwoven treaties had to be negotiated and passed by parliament. Former Lord Mayor Manfred Richter, as First Parliamentary Secretary of the FDP government parliamentary group, was in the thick of the action at the time; he was part of the closest coalition rounds and was responsible for the parliamentary steps that had to be taken under great time pressure. Manfred Richter reports on the necessary steps in turbulent times and how it was possible to achieve German unity together with a wide variety of players.