Berlin. Germany celebrated the reunion of  East and West Germany with a brief program on Saturday amidst the coronavirus epidemic. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Angela Merkel attended the ceremony in Potsdam, about 25 kilometers southwest of Berlin.

After World War II, East and West Germany, remained separated for four decades during the Cold War until 1990. “We are reminiscing today about the end of the Cold War and the beginning of a new era,” Steinmeier said. “Today we live in a better and more united Germany,” he added.

Steinmeier said Germany had become more diverse over the past 30 years due to reunification and immigration. He called for stronger unity by abandoning regional and religious differences. Speaking at the event, Chancellor Merkel said it was time for every German citizen to move forward with specific courage and enthusiasm. “The coronavirus epidemic needs new impetus, and some differences between East and West Germany need to be broken,” she said.

During the Cold War between the United States and the then Soviet Union, Germany was divided into East and West. On November 9, 1989, with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the way was opened for reunification between the two. Then, on October 3, 1990, the German Reconciliation Treaty was signed, German Unity Day has been celebrated as the country’s national holiday since then.