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Wende

Wende

9.9
The time around 1989–1990 when East Germany ended communist rule and reunited with West Germany
  • noun
translation icon : Wende
  • The Wende brought about the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of East Germany.

Examples

  • During the Wende, citizens organized peaceful protests demanding political reform.

  • The Wende led to the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990.

  • Many families were reunited after the Wende changed the course of German history.

  • The Wende marked a significant change in German history.

  • Many people celebrated the Wende in Berlin.

  • Many citizens took to the streets during the Wende to demand freedom and democracy.

  • The Wende is often remembered as a time of hope and transformation in German society.

Surface Forms

Wende singular
Wendes plural

Etymology

The word Wende comes from the German verb wenden 'to turn'. People used it for the big political turn in 1989–90 when East Germany changed and the Berlin Wall fell, so Wende names that period of political change.