The Day of German Unity is organized by the federal state that holds the Presidency of the Federal Council. This year’s 34^th German Unity Day is celebrated under the motto “Set sail as one” in Schwerin, the capital of the federal state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

According to the German Constitution, every member of the Federal Council can be elected president. However, in the Königstein Agreement of August 30, 1950, it was stipulated by the prime ministers of Germany that the prime ministers of the federal states would be elected President of the Federal Council for one year in order from the most populous state (Nordrhein-Westfalen) to the least populous one (Bremen). The order of the Presidency has already been laid out until 2034.

This year’s celebration in Schwerin will be one of the largest festivals in the history of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The diverse programs and presentations will show Germany in all its diversity.

One of the highlights of the Federal Council’s program is the handover of the baton of the Presidency of the Federal Council. Although the official election for the Presidency of the Federal Council will not occur until mid-October, the Presidents of the Federal Council traditionally like to introduce themselves to the public with this passing of the baton.

In addition, an ecumenical service will take place in the morning of October 3, 2024, in the Schwerin Cathedral of St. Marien and St. Johannis, as well as a midday ceremony at in the Mecklenburg State Theater, which will be attended by around 550 guests, including the heads of the federal and state constitutional bodies as well as representatives from politics, business and society, including our very own Reinhard von Hennigs, Chairman and Founder of BridgehouseLaw, LLP, will attend the festivities.

This year’s German Unity Day marks the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the 75^th birthday of the German Constitution.