The West German cabinet discusses the recommendations made by the board of the German Bundesbank on 30 March with regard to the intended currency union with the GDR.more
4 April
1990
At a meeting of advisers in the West German chancellery, Boris Meissner, an expert on Soviet affairs, suggests offering the Soviet Union a comprehensive bilateral treaty on non-aggression and cooperation.more
5 April
1990
In East Berlin, the first freely elected Volkskammer is constituted. Sabine Bergmann-Pohl (CDU) is chosen as its president. The parliament gives Lothar de Maizière (CDU), as the top candidate of the strongest parliamentary party, the task of forming a government.
RIAS – Retrospective: Opening of the new Volkskammer on 5 April 1990, 2 October 1990 (in German) (Quelle: Archiv Deutschlandradio, Sendung: Abendreport, Redakteur: Hans-Günter Goldbeck-Löwe)
RIAS – Survey in East Berlin on the newly elected Volkskammer, 5 April 1990 (in German) (Quelle: Archiv Deutschlandradio, Sendung: Abendreport, Redakteur: Hans-Günter Goldbeck-Löwe)
5 April
1990
In Bonn, the West German chancellor discusses the guiding principles for the draft of a treaty with the GDR with experts from the finance ministry and the Bundesbank.more
11 April
1990
In the evening, Lothar de Maizière informs the West German chancellor by telephone about the progress in coalition negotiations and the formation of a government in the GDR.more
12 April
1990
The preamble of the coalition treaty of the government of Lothar de Maizière contains the following declaration: "In view of the special situation in the GDR since 9 November 1989, it is necessary, in order to solve the future tasks arising in the process of uniting both parts of Germany, to put aside party interests and to form a large coalition for the period in which the two German states are growing together."more
Three Berlin artists have been trying for weeks to create a flowery landscape alongside the Wall.more
16 April
1990
The chairman of the Council of Ministers, Lothar de Maizière, receives an unofficial letter (non-paper) of the Soviet leadership from the Soviet ambassador in the GDR, Vyacheslav Kotshemassov. In it, Moscow expresses objections to the GDR merging with West Germany quickly according to Article 23 of the Basic Law.more
People’s Police destroy bugging devices of the former Ministry for Security (Photo: Bundesarchiv, Image 183-1990-0316-026, Photographer: Matthias Hiekel)
In the new GDR government, there are serious fears that despite the State Security’s apparent dissolution, its still existent structures could destabilise the government. There are rumours that members of the State Security have found refuge at bases of the Soviet armed forces and could prepare attacks from there.
RIAS telephone interview on the dissolution of the State Security, 6 April 1990 (in German) (Quelle: Archiv Deutschlandradio, Sendung: Rundschau am Mittag, Redakteur: Iso Weissert)
19 April
1990
The government statement by Lothar de Maizière is a declaration of belief in a unified Germany. Among other things, his statement stresses: "The unification must come as fast as possible, but the conditions under which it takes place must be as good, as sensible and as sustainable as necessary."
24 April
1990
West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and the chairman of the GDR Council of Ministers, de Maizière, meet in Bonn and discuss the West German government’s proposals for a currency union and issues connected with a treaty between the two German states.more
With a 12-vote majority (179-167), the Volkskammer rejects the request by the parliamentary party Bündnis 90/Grüne (Alliance 90/Greens) to discuss the draft of a new GDR constitution. The Round Table working group "New GDR constitution" had continued to elaborate the draft even after the Round Table had finished its work, and tabled it for the first time on 5 April.
27 April
1990
The German-German negotiations on the creation of a currency, economic and social union begin. Bundesbank director Hans Tietmeyer heads the negotiations for West Germany, and State Secretary Günther Krause for the GDR. The basis for the negotiations is a paper put forward by the West German government that proposes an exchange rate of 1:1 for income and pensions as well as for cash and savings pro capita up to 4,000 East German marks.
27 April
1990
The head of the GDR border troops, Major General Dieter Teichmann, reports to the minister for disarmament and defence, Rainer Eppelmann, on the extent of demolition work needed to dismantle border security facilities.more
In the prestigious Inter-Continental Hotel in West Berlin, three original segments of Wall are auctioned off; two are from Checkpoint Charlie, one from the Brandenburg Gate.more
Around 1,500 people gather in the Thüringenhalle in Erfurt. They are among the thousands forced to leave their homes on the 1,400-km-long inner German border at extremely short notice in May/June 1952 as part of the operation "Border" ("Grenze") and "Pests" ("Ungeziefer").more
28 April
1990
In Dublin, an EC summit comes to a close. The mistrust so in evidence at the Strasbourg summit has evaporated. The European Council comes out in favour of German unification.more
29 April
1990
Prime Minister Lothar de Maizière arrives in Moscow for talks with Soviet party and state leader Mikhail Gorbachev.more
30 April
1990
The Volkskammer president Sabine Bergmann-Pohl and the Bundestag president Rita Süssmuth hold a discussion during which they decide to form a joint parliamentary committee on German unity.more
April 1990
In April, 16,000 people have left the GDR; since the start of 1990, the number is over 170,000. The announcement of an economic, monetary and social union by 1 July 1990 has, however, reduced emigration.
