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West Germany
historical subdivision, Germany
News •
37 years after fall of Berlin Wall: How divided are Germans today?
• Nov. 9, 2026, 9:02 AM ET (Deutsche Welle)
West Germany, from 1949 to 1990, a republic consisting of the western two-thirds of what is now Germany. West Germany was created in 1949 when the United States, Great Britain, and France consolidated those zones, or portions, of Germany that they had occupied at the end of World War II. When West and East Germany were reunited in 1990, West Germany’s constitution and official name (Federal Republic of Germany) were adopted by the former East German state. See Germany.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Heather Campbell.
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