Day of German Unity, Berlin 2018

© Kulturprojekte Berlin, Foto: Alexander Rentsch

Over the course of three full days, Berlin joined with hundreds of thousands of people to celebrate 28 years of unity and freedom in Germany and Europe.

In 2018, it was Berlin’s turn to host the national celebrations marking the official Day of Germany Unity, and the capital took its own history and international responsibility as an opportunity to explore the current state of unity 28 years after reunification and to showcase ideas for the future under the motto NUR MIT EUCH (ONLY WITH YOU). German unification in 1990 and the unification of Europe that resulted from it were only made possible thanks to Germany’s international partners and neighbours. On behalf of the State of Berlin, Kulturprojekte Berlin developed and implemented a three-day citizens’ festival as the centrepiece of the celebrations.

© Kulturprojekte Berlin, Foto: Lena Giovanazzi

A grand-scale installation featuring historical images

The internationally renowned street artist JR transformed the Brandenburg Gate into a huge installation created especially for the Day of German Unity. The famous Berlin landmark was adorned with an over 25-metre-high collage drawing on historical photos taken on 10 November 1989. In doing so, JR converted the Brandenburg Gate into a monument to freedom and unity for three full days.

© JR-ART.NET Iris Hesse Ullstein Bild Roger-Violett

Symbol of a united Germany

The Band der Einheit – Band of Unity functioned as the connecting element and visual symbol for a united Germany. Each one of Germany’s 11,040 cities and towns from Aach to Zwönitz was represented with a characteristic yellow name-sign fixed on the ground in alphabetical order – thereby making it impossible to distinguish any particular town as belonging to either East or West. The installation meandered through the very centre of Berlin on over 2.5 kilometres of the designated festival area.

© Kulturprojekte Berlin, Foto Oana Popa
We joined with 200 partners to invite all Berliners and guests to a festival of unity at the Brandenburg Gate.
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