Volta
Politics18 September 1973

Both German States Join the United Nations

Also called: Admission of the two German states to the UN

Following the Basic Treaty, East and West Germany became the 133rd and 134th members of the United Nations on the same day. The two Koreas joined together in the same way in 1991.

Flags of the new members East and West Germany raised before UN Headquarters, New York — photo by Hans-Joachim Spremberg, 19 September 1973, German Federal Archives
Flags of the new members East and West Germany raised before UN Headquarters, New York — photo by Hans-Joachim Spremberg, 19 September 1973, German Federal Archives

Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-M0925-306 / Hans-Joachim Spremberg · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · Source

After the Basic Treaty came into force, the UN General Assembly admitted the German Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany together on 18 September 1973, East Germany as the 133rd member and West Germany as the 134th.

Each now acted as a state in the international community, and around this time East Germany established relations with many Western countries. The simultaneous admission of a divided nation was repeated when North and South Korea joined the UN together in September 1991.

Show on the map

The map in 1973

Open the full map

OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap contributors

States at the time
West Germany
East Germany
Places
United Nations Headquarters

People

  • Willy Brandt1913 – 1992

    related figure · Mayor of West Berlin (1957–1966) and chancellor of West Germany (1969–1974) whose Ostpolitik sought reconciliation with the East; Nobel Peace Prize 1971

  • Erich Honecker1912 – 1994

    related figure · Leader of East Germany (1971–1989) who had organized the building of the Berlin Wall and was ousted amid the protests of autumn 1989

Before and after

Earlier
1972 Ostpolitik and the Basic Treaty
Later
1974 1974 FIFA World Cup West Germany

Themes that include this event