The East German general election of 18 March 1990 is widely seen as the first (and last) free and fair general election in the forty year history of the German Democratic Republic. For those who view history backwards it was also a step down the inevitable path to German reunification. Certainly over in Bonn Chancellor Kohl (who by this time enjoyed far more cordial relationship with Soviet party General Secretary Gorbachev than any member of the East German government leadership) already saw a clear road ahead whereby the forty years of German division might be ended. But in March 1990 there were still very few people in East or West Germany who foresaw realistic prospect of reunification. The realisation of what might become possible dawned on people only during the few months, however. There was nothing theoretical about the return of democracy to East Germany, and on 6 May 1990 Schöttler was elected to membership the . By 11 July 1990, when this city parliament voted into force a constitution for East Berlin (to come into force on 23 July 1990) reunification was very much more clearly on the horizon, so that the East Berlin constitution was to be valid only for a six month transitional phase till January 1991, by which time it was anticipated that a longer term way ahead might be apparent. It was. Schöttler remained a member of the till its replacement in December 1990.