West Germany

**West Germany** (German: _West Deutschland_) is the common English name for the **Federal Republic of Germany** (**FRG**; , **BRD**; ), retrospectively designated the **Bonn Republic**. It was a country in Central Europe. It was created on May 23, 1949. It ended on October 3, 1990 due to German Reunification. During the Cold War, West Germany was part of the Western bloc. It was created from the eleven states in Allied-occupied Germany after World War II. The capital city was Bonn.

West Germany was very important in the Cold War. The last capital city of Germany Berlin was also split into West Berlin and East Berlin.

## History

After World War II, Germany was split into four zones. These zones were controlled by the -
British, French, Americans, and Soviets. From 1946 to 1949, the British, French, and American zones combined (came together) to create West Germany. The Soviet zone became East Germany. The two zones would not come together again until 1990.

Konrad Adenauer was called in as chancellor from 1947 until 1962. He was not meant to be the chancellor for a long time, but he stayed longer than expected. As chancellor, he helped West Germany recover (get better) from World War II and improved the economy.

After Adenauer left, he was followed by Ludwig Erhard, who was also followed by Kurt Georg Kiesinger. In 1968 the West German student movement protests began.

In 1969 Willy Brandt became chancellor. Under him, West Germany was nicer to the Eastern countries, and he managed to sign agreements with East Germany, Poland, and Czechoslovakia, who had been more hostile to West Germany. Brandt had to resign in May 1974 when it was found out that one of his staff members was a spy.

Helmut Schmidt served as chancellor until 1982. He helped launch the European Monetary System (EMS). Schmidt was followed by Helmut Kohl, who was chancellor when the Berlin Wall collapsed and Germany reunified in 1990.

## Infobox (former country)

- **conventional long name**: <span style="line-height:1.33em;">Federal Republic of Germany</span>
- **native name**: <span style="line-height:1.33em;"></span>
- **common name**: West Germany
- **government type**: Federalism, Federal Parliamentary system, parliamentary constitutional republic
- **p1**: Allied-occupied Germany
- **flag p1**: Flag of Germany (1946-1949).svg
- **border p1**: no
- **p2**: Saar Protectorate
- **flag p2**: Flag of Saar.svg
- **s1**: History of Germany since 1990Federal Republic of Germany (reunified Germany)
- **flag s1**: Flag of Germany.svg
- **image flag**: Flag of Germany.svg
- **image coat**: File:Coat of arms of Germany.svg
- **symbol type**: Coat of arms
- **image map**: West Germany 1956-1990.svg
- **image map caption**: Territory of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) from the accession of the Saar on 1 January 1957 to German reunification on 3 October 1990
- **national motto**:
<small>"Unity and Justice and Freedom"</small>
- **national anthem**: "Ich hab' mich ergeben" and "Hymne an Deutschland" (1949–1952)
- **capital**: Bonn<sup>f</sup>
- **largest city**: Hamburg
- **common languages**: German language, German
- **demonym**: Germans, West German
- **title leader**: President of Germany, President
- **leader1**: Theodor Heuss
- **year leader1**: 1949–1959
- **leader2**: Heinrich Lübke
- **year leader2**: 1959–1969
- **leader3**: Gustav Heinemann
- **year leader3**: 1969–1974
- **leader4**: Walter Scheel
- **year leader4**: 1974–1979
- **leader5**: Karl Carstens
- **year leader5**: 1979–1984
- **leader6**: Richard von Weizsäcker<sup>b</sup>
- **year leader6**: 1984–1990
- **title deputy**: Chancellor of Germany (1949–), Chancellor
- **deputy1**: Konrad Adenauer
- **year deputy1**: 1949–1963
- **deputy2**: Ludwig Erhard
- **year deputy2**: 1963–1966
- **deputy3**: Kurt Georg Kiesinger
- **year deputy3**: 1966–1969
- **deputy4**: Willy Brandt
- **year deputy4**: 1969–1974
- **deputy5**: Helmut Schmidt
- **year deputy5**: 1974–1982
- **deputy6**: Helmut Kohl<sup>c</sup>
- **year deputy6**: 1982–1990
- **legislature**: Bundestag
- **era**: Cold War
- **event start**: History of Germany (1945–90), Formation
- **date start**: 23 May
- **year start**: 1949
- **event1**: Saar statute, Accession of Saar Protectorate
- **date event1**: 1 January 1957
- **event2**: Admitted to the United Nations
- **date event2**: 18 September 1973
- **event end**: German reunification, Reunification
- **date end**: 3 October
- **year end**: 1990
- **stat year1**: 1950
- **stat year2**: 1970
- **stat year3**: 1990
- **stat area3**: 248577
- **stat pop1**: 50,958,000<sup>d</sup>
- **stat pop2**: 61,001,000
- **stat pop3**: 63,254,000
- **currency**: <sup>e</sup> (DM)
- **currency code**: DEM
- **time zone**: Central European Time, CET
- **utc offset**: +1
- **time zone dst**: Central European Summer Time, CEST
- **utc offset dst**: +2
- **cctld**: .de
- **calling code**: 49
- **footnote a**: From 1952 to 1991, the official national anthem of Germany was  in its entirety, but only the third stanza was to be sung at official events.<big></big>
- **footnote b**: Continued as President of the reunified Germany until 1994.
- **footnote c**: Continued as Chancellor of the reunified Germany until 1998.
- **footnote d**: Population statistics according to .
- **footnote e**: In Saarland, between January 1957 and July 1959, the French franc and Saar franc.
- **footnote f**: At first, Bonn was referred to only as the provisional seat of government institutions, but from the early 1970s it was called the "federal capital" (_Bundeshauptstadt_).
- **symbol type article**: Coat of Arms of Germany#Federal Republic of Germany