2026 German Unity Day

German Unity Day on October 3 commemorates the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990, when the former East Germany acceded to the Federal Republic, and it is Germany's only public holiday established under federal law; all others are set by the individual states. It replaced June 17, the old West German 'Day of German Unity'. Official celebrations rotate each year among the state capitals, following the presidency of the Bundesrat, with a ceremony attended by the President, Chancellor and other dignitaries and a multi-day Bürgerfest of concerts, food stalls and exhibitions; Berlin also hosts festivities around the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag. It is a low-key holiday compared with national days elsewhere, with no military parade. Shops and offices close nationwide, and when October 3 falls near a weekend many Germans take a long break, so Autobahn traffic and trains are heavy. This countdown ticks to midnight Central European Time in Berlin on October 3.