Editing German Unity Day (section)

==History==
Germany has historically associated various dates with its nationhood and unity.
===Imperial Germany===
Before 1871, in the area where the single state of Germany now exists, different kingdoms and principalities existed. After the [[unification of Germany]], and the Founding of the Empire 1871, there was still no common national holiday. The [[Sedantag]] was, however, celebrated every year on 2 September, recalling [[Battle of Sedan|the decisive victory]] in the [[Franco-Prussian War]] on 2 September 1870.<ref name="Schellack">Fritz Schellack: ''Nationalfeiertage in Deutschland 1871 bis 1945''. Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main u. a. 1990, {{ISBN|3-631-42524-4}} (zugl. Dissertation, Universität Mainz 1989)</ref>

Before the Empire was founded in 1872, there were calls for a national holiday, and there were three suggestions. No decision was made. Until 1873, the Sedantag was moved to 18 January or the day of the [[Treaty of Frankfurt (1871)|Frankfurt Treaty]] (10 May 1871). The Sedantag would soon also be celebrated at the universities and in many German cities. It never occurred to them to think about "Empire Parade" or "Emperor's Birthday". Some Culture Ministers of the states, especially in [[Prussia]], decided that the Sedantag would be an official festival in schools. Upon many suggestions, the date of the Emperor's proclamation on 18 January would be established as day of remembrance. Emperor Wilhelm I declined this: "This was also the day of the first Prussian coronation of the king, which should not fall into the shadow of a united German holiday."<ref>[[Karl Erich Born]]: ''Preußen im deutschen Kaiserreich 1871–1918. Führungsmacht des Reiches und Aufgehen im Reich''. In: [[Wolfgang Neugebauer (1953)|Wolfgang Neugebauer]] (Hrsg.): ''Handbuch der preussischen Geschichte''. Bd. III: ''Vom Kaiserreich zum 20. Jahrhundert und Große Themen der Geschichte Preußens''. [[Verlag Walter de Gruyter|De Gruyter]], Berlin 2000, {{ISBN|3-11-014092-6}}, S. 37</ref> 

Despite this, the [[Day of the founding of the German Empire]] was still celebrated locally and nationally to some degree. These celebrations continued in the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany. Following World War II, East Germany completely abandoned the holiday, while West Germany still celebrated it on a smaller scale. West Germany did acknowledge the centennial of the German Empire as the founding of the German state in 1871. 

===Weimar Republic===
On 31 July 1919, the [[Weimar Constitution]] would be accepted in its form by the [[Weimar National Assembly|Weimar National Congress]]. In memorial of this "Hour of birth of democracy", 11 August was created as Constitution Day, because the [[President of Germany (1919–1945)|President of Germany]] [[Friedrich Ebert]], signed the constitution on this day.<ref name="Schellack"/>

===National Socialism===
Shortly after the Nazis took power in 1933 (the so-called {{lang|de|[[Machtergreifung]]}}), [[May Day]] (1 May) was established as a national holiday in the ''[[German Reich]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.verfassungen.de/de/de33-45/feiertage34.htm |title=www.verfassungen.de – German holidays act from 27 February 1937 ("Gesetz über die Feiertage") |access-date=3 October 2014 |archive-date=6 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140806144124/http://www.verfassungen.de/de/de33-45/feiertage34.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> It was already celebrated as a "[[International Workers' Day|Day of the Labor Movement]]" since 1890, and also was part of the tradition for the May dance commemorating the [[Walpurgis Night]]. Immediately after the establishment of the holiday in 1933, the Nazis banned trade unions on 2 May 1933 and occupied their buildings as offices for the Nazi Movement. On 1 March 1939, Hitler declared [[November 9 in German history|9 November]] (the day of the failed [[Beer Hall Putsch]] in 1923) as the "Memorial Day for the movement" as the national holiday.

===Federal Republic of Germany===
From 1954 to 1990, 17 June was an official holiday in the Federal Republic of Germany to commemorate the [[East German uprising of 1953]], even with the name "German Unity Day".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.17juni53.de/chronik/5307/juli53_gesetz.jpg |title=www.17juli1953.de – Law paragraph establishing July 3rd, 1953, as the "German Unity Day" in West Germany. |access-date=3 October 2014 |archive-date=17 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417090939/http://www.17juni53.de/chronik/5307/juli53_gesetz.jpg |url-status=live }}</ref> Since 1963, it was proclaimed by the President of the Federal Republic as "National Day of Memorial of the German People". However, by the mid-1960s as hope faded that the two Germanys would ever be re-united, this date became more of a holiday and day of recreation than a day to consider national unity.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gunkel|first1=Christoph|title=Der 17. Juni: Tag der deutschen Zwietracht - SPIEGEL ONLINE - einestages|url=http://www.spiegel.de/einestages/tag-der-deutschen-einheit-nationalfeiertag-17-juni-a-1055106.html|work=Spiegel|date=3 October 2015|archive-date=25 May 2017|access-date=14 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525164648/http://www.spiegel.de/einestages/tag-der-deutschen-einheit-nationalfeiertag-17-juni-a-1055106.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
In the year 1990, the "German Unity Day" was celebrated twice, on this date and on 3 October.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055124/http://www.bmi.bund.de/cae/servlet/contentblob/297462/publicationFile/8836/proklamation1953.pdf Federal Ministry of the Interior – Presidential proclamation about July 3rd.]</ref>

===German Democratic Republic===
In East Germany, the Founding Day in 1949 was celebrated on 7 October as [[Republic Day (East Germany)|Republic Day]], until the 40th anniversary in 1989.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.verfassungen.de/de/ddr/feiertagsgesetz50.htm |title=www.verfassungen.de – East German law on introducing the holidays "Day of Liberation" and "Day of the Republic" (1950) ("Gesetz über die Einführung der Feiertage "Tag der Befreiung" und "Tag der Republik""). |access-date=3 October 2014 |archive-date=2 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081002085407/http://www.verfassungen.de/de/ddr/feiertagsgesetz50.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>