Question 19
When was the Federal Republic of Germany founded?
German original: Wann wurde die Bundesrepublik Deutschland gegründet?. In the test, all questions are asked in German.
Answer options
- 1939
- 1945
- 1949 — Correct answer
- 1951
Explanation
The Federal Republic of Germany was founded on 23 May 1949, when the Basic Law came into force. A few months later, on 7 October 1949, the DDR was founded in the Soviet zone.
Key terms in this question
- Germany — Germany is a country in central Europe with a parliamentary democracy. It is a member of the European Union and its capital is Berlin.
- Federal Republic — The Federal Republic of Germany is the official name of the German state. It consists of 16 federal states and is a democratic republic.
- When — A question word used to ask about a point or period in time.
- Federal state — A federal state is one of the 16 regions that together form Germany. Each state has its own government, parliament, and areas of responsibility.
- was / became — 'Wurde' is the simple past form of the German auxiliary verb 'werden', used to form the passive voice or express becoming. For example: 'Das Gesetz wurde verabschiedet' means 'The law was passed'.'
- the Federal Government / the Federation — The Federation refers to the central level of government in Germany, as opposed to the individual federal states (Länder). It is responsible for matters that affect the whole country, such as foreign policy or national defense.
- Republic — A republic is a form of government in which political power belongs to the people, who elect representatives to govern the country. There is no monarch; the head of state is usually an elected president or similar figure.
- German — German is the official language of Germany, Austria, and part of Switzerland. It is the native language of approximately 100 million people.