just remember when helmut kohl said the law in the complex had to be saved it was saved. so much that was done was counterproductive. what could learn to be saved while other things weren't going so far and when a major company took over a car factory and converted it to build something else while preserving the workforce why couldn't that be done in other places. so which decisions were right and which were wrong by the end of the winter of the tri hand nobody knew in 1993 the potash mine in vision forward it was closed. and suing miners hunger strike came to symbolize east germans feeling of helplessness many felt betrayed believing that west german executives and politicians were pulling the strings behind the scenes of mother earth in the uk but us as i remember things what we were trying to set in motion was a responsible procedure. because what happened in b. shot for rhoda is depressing. and the hunger strike did trouble us immensely maybe it was just the most extreme case of too many decisions being taken that people simply no longer wanted the good talking to the

chancellor helmut kohl took advantage of the euphoria he convinced france britain and finally soviet leader mikhail gorbachev that a united germany would be at the service of europe. in record speed german unity was a great both nationally and internationally the 5 states of the former g.d.r. joined west germany on october 3rd 1990 called finally attained his goal a unified germany. peter i certainly get goosebumps listening and watching that ceremony because we've both seen those events 29 years ago now 30 years on there was so much euphoria back then 30 years on would you say the greenough occasion has been a success. without a doubt in by and by and large the germany is a. natural entity is very broad one side and it has begun to grow together the question is the pace at which the 2 sides are growing together and whether that process is now moved into almost possibly reverse gear i mean it's interesting if you speak to east germans about or even speak to west germans about what happened in the pearl in the period in the last 3 decades or so say how their lives have changed but as

prominent politicians have played a role in polling in celebrities former chancellor helmut kohl used to invite v.i.p.'s from around the world to eat with him at the time just where he was a regular. the wine route 85 kilometers long. can become a pretty quickly because there are so many lovely places along the way it's best not to hurry and that's what it's about taking time to enjoy life there's all. it's a party going on somewhere. and like the one in the water want to eat pork he hosts a chest not fashionable with all sorts of dishes made from them. from chestnut burgos. to chestnut bridge and chestnut confectionery. and as in a company munch what else nice glass of wine. in the whole so intently to book i'm up for a little adventure. is in the very romantic place. i've put myself a segway tour through the vineyards 1st a quick introduction to my trusty steed. hold tight to transfer your weight on to your toes slightly forward this is the weird. thing in the fall for your way to your heels to break that was how you moved to steer it up but i didn't move yes you did. and off we go.

about german reunification i have a positive take on it in that i can remember western germany helmut kohl's germany being an efficient economy obviously being an efficient society the being very sort of stuffy and down day and it's become a much more dynamic international place than eastern germany meanwhile used to be oppressive for thora tarion is now enjoy freedom we will continue our conversation but just want to remind our viewers that every year jim lee celebrates the day of german unification an official set of minis are underway and you can see that on your monitor there is a tribune squire thinking of right now and as soon as american the german chancellor makes a keynote address we'll go live to that and bring it to you then returning now to peter and listening to his memories of germany unification to how much has changed between the 2 between 990 when german unification officially took and now a fantastic lot has changed the instant germany has begun to catch up finally i think in some very significant ways the the 990 s. right through into the decade that followed on that right

chancellor helmut kohl took advantage of the euphoria he convinced france britain and finally soviet leader mikhail gorbachev that a united germany would be at the service of europe. in record speed german unity was a great both nationally and internationally the 5 states of the former g.d.r. joined west germany on october 3rd 1990 called finally attained his goal a unified germany. while the berlin wall was of course a brutal symbol of germany's division today there's almost nothing left of it except for a few scattered reminders start easy to find most of them. where did the berlin wall go luckily this metal strip marks where it once stood but where can you see the pieces of the wall itself we are some tourists if they found the wall no. i have it set up there ok good yeah because i'm going to head up that way. i don't know and i never gave it was no no that's that's somewhere else i don't know on both sides of the former border lin has grown and grown together only long time residents remember it where all the wall just behind you behind me yes. there's nothing there. on the that'

prominent politicians have played a role in pulling in celebrities former chancellor helmut kohl used to invite v.i.p.'s from around the world to eat with him at the tightest time of course where he was a regular. the wind route is 85 kilometers long. can be covered pretty quickly because there are so many lovely places along the way it's best not to hari and that's what it's about taking time to enjoy life there's always a party going on somewhere. like the one in the water want to read a book it hosts a chestnut festival with all sorts of dishes made from them. from chestnut burgers. to chestnut bread and chestnut confectionery. and as an accompaniment to what else nice glass of wine. in the also intense heat book and fuller and little adventure. this is a very romantic place. myself a segway tour through the vineyards 1st a quick introduction to my trusty steed. hold tight to transfer your weight don't your toes getting slightly forwards this is the weird oh my god the fall for your way to your heels to break that was how you moved to steer it up but i didn't move a muscle yes you

chancellor helmut kohl took advantage of the euphoria he convinced france britain and finally soviet leader mikhail gorbachev that a united germany would be at the service of europe. in record speed german unity was a great both nationally and internationally the 5 states of the former g.d.r. joined west germany on october 3rd 1990 called finally attained his goal a real unified germany. a stark about this more now with did of use a thomas sparrow from our political bureau here in the studio good morning thomas morning brian we've just seen some incredible images of the hard to forget if you saw them all those years ago when the wall fell to the germans still feel that same enthusiasm that they did back then i probably wouldn't describe it as enthusiasm older probably when they do look at those images they feel very happy about it most germans i think do feel that reunification is a very important step for job many in fact a recent poll also stressed that a majority. germans feel that unity has been achieved the rest till very clear differences and we'll speak about those differences

chancellor helmut kohl took advantage of the euphoria he convinced france britain and finally soviet leader mikhail gorbachev that a united germany would be at the service of europe. in record speed german unity was a great both nationally and internationally the 5 states of the former g.d.r. joined west germany on october 3rd 1990 kohl finally attained his goal a unified germany. we remember those days very well someone who made those days possible is with me here in the studio right now the former east german civil rights activist caterine. i think it's good to have you on the show we've talked before here at the big table i want to pick up on the topic of the german chancellor angela merkel we've been talking about her tonight when you think about america and her contribution to german reunification has she done enough. or has she let you down how do you feel. you know i in my opinion this is not a one man show or one woman show so we unification or democracy is a job for all of us so we have to make it possible we have to talk to each other and to understand each other it's about

chancellor helmut kohl took advantage of the euphoria he convinced france britain and finally soviet leader mikhail gorbachev that a united germany would be at the service of europe. in record speed german unity was a great both nationally and internationally the 5 states of the former g.d.r. joined west germany on october 3rd 1990 called finally attained his goal a unified germany. i. say here in us so vividly remember the euphoria you imagine this arms around her voice was an incredible that it was difficult not to be moved to but you see as we were hearing from chancellor merkel the process of unity is still has a long way to go there but there's still a generation of eastern germans and western germans who were born in reunited germany how do you think your work marcher older. and how do you think they feel on this day of germany and if acacia and. for them it's a little bit difficult to grasp i have to say i think what they would say is that this is the very positive message that a lot of people especially in a city like berlin which is very much a city where people live very cl

journalist and we were talking about the leaders from that era, reagan and then bush and thatcher and helmut kohlou know, these are people with huge personalities, where the agree with them on the policy matter. and i was comparing them to the leaders that was five or six years ago when it seemed like the leaders were so different in the world has changed so much. such a started to research a look at what happened between reagan and gorbachev, more than what i knew, and i discovered the reykjavÍk summit, which is quite a particular missed opportunity as we would see. >> and so you mentioned the personalities of world leaders, which as we all know today can be extremely important in understanding or maybe confounding. but a lot of the book also mentioned and describes sort of the politics at home and surprisingly not just in the united states, which is after all of the markers and an open society, but in the soviet union. you talk about gorbachev and the powers that be, but also his desire and need frankly to develop the economy in the soviet union. and for reagan it was politics,, it was an upcom