Question 51
How did the Federal Republic of Germany and the GDR become one state?
German original: Wie wurden die Bundesrepublik Deutschland und die DDR zu einem Staat?. In the test, all questions are asked in German.
Answer options
- The Federal Republic has occupied the GDR.
- Today's five eastern federal states joined the Federal Republic of Germany. — Correct answer
- The western federal states joined the GDR.
- The GDR occupied the Federal Republic of Germany.
Explanation
Reunification took place on October 3, 1990: the five eastern federal states (Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia) joined the Federal Republic of Germany.
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.
- State — A state is an organized community with a defined territory, a population, and a government that creates and enforces laws.
- 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.
- were (passive past tense) — 'Wurden' is the past passive form of the German verb 'werden'. It is used to describe something that happened to multiple people or things in the past, e.g., 'The laws were passed.'