TestZen · Einbürgerungstest · Practice

204. How did the Federal Republic of Germany and the GDR become a single state?

Official German wording

Wie wurden die Bundesrepublik Deutschland und die DDR zu einem Staat?

  1. Die Bundesrepublik Deutschland hat die DDR besetzt.
  2. Die heutigen fünf östlichen Bundesländer sind der Bundesrepublik Deutschland beigetreten.
  3. Die westlichen Bundesländer sind der DDR beigetreten.
  4. Die DDR hat die Bundesrepublik Deutschland besetzt.

Answer options

  1. The Federal Republic of Germany occupied the GDR.
  2. The five present eastern federal states acceded to the Federal Republic of Germany.
  3. The western federal states acceded to the GDR.
  4. The GDR occupied the Federal Republic of Germany.

Correct answer

The five present eastern federal states acceded to the Federal Republic of Germany.

Explanation

German unity occurred on 3 October 1990 by the GDR’s accession under Article 23 of the Basic Law (old version), after the GDR reconstituted its Länder and concluded the Unification Treaty. In international law, the Federal Republic continued as the same state; the GDR ceased to exist and its territory was integrated—this was neither occupation nor annexation. The Two Plus Four Treaty settled the external dimension (full sovereignty, borders), while the Unification Treaty governed domestic legal harmonization and the continued application or transfer of East German law. A constituent refounding under Article 146 did not occur; instead, the Basic Law was amended and extended to the acceding Länder.

Official sources

The German questions come from the original BAMF catalog for the Einbürgerungstest and Leben in Deutschland. Translations and explanations are study aids; verify legal details in the official sources.