Fractured Unity: 35 Years Since GDR’s Accession to FRG / A.P.Sokolov, V.V.Vorotnikov, E.S.Pankov. — Moscow: MGIMO-University Press, 2024. — 82 p.

This paper reviews the circumstances of German reunification and its implications for the modern Federal Republic of Germany. Politics, economy, intersocietal relations are among the areas that have seen Germany both succeed in building unity and experience new and old challenges.

The paper draws on materials from the Foreign Policy Archive of the Russian Federation. Most of them are being introduced into the academic discourse for the first time. These documents provide valuable insights into the events of 1989–1990 as seen by Soviet diplomats who were directly involved in the processes. Their assessments and observations enhance our understanding of the intricate dynamics of German reunification.

The archival data are complemented by the first-hand information presented in the report. Vladimir Polenov, 1st Class Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, who has an extensive experience of working both in the FRG and the GDR, has related the authors the circumstances of German reunification and the intricacies of the negotiation process leading up to the Two Plus Four Agreement. Vladimir Polenov was directly involved in the negotiations and made a great contribution to shaping the foundations of relations between the Russian Federation and reunified Germany.

The report is part of an ongoing series of analytical studies on the foreign and domestic policies of the Federal Republic of Germany, prepared by members of the Institute for International Studies at Moscow State Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

The study was conducted as part of a grant from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia for establishing a World-Class Research Center (agreement No. 075-15-2022-327).