Ministry for Intra-German Relations facts for kids

The "Federal Eagle" symbol

The Federal Ministry of Intra-German Relations was a special government department in West Germany. It was in charge of all connections and talks with the government of East Germany. This was important because West Germany believed there should only be one Germany. Because of this belief, they couldn't use the regular Ministry of Foreign Affairs to talk to East Germany. Using the Foreign Ministry would have meant admitting East Germany was a completely separate country, which West Germany didn't want to do.

What Was This Ministry?

This ministry was created in 1949. Back then, it was called the Federal Ministry of All-German Affairs. Its main job was to handle matters related to all parts of Germany. This also included looking after issues about the German lands east of the Oder-Neisse Line, which had become part of Poland after World War II.

How It Changed Over Time

The ministry's name changed in 1969. This happened when Willy Brandt, a leader from West Germany, signed an important agreement with Poland. This agreement officially recognized the Oder and Neisse Rivers as Poland's western border. This was part of Willy Brandt's new approach called Ostpolitik. This policy aimed to improve relations with Eastern European countries. At that time, Poland had a communist government. They couldn't let West Germany sign a treaty directly about East Germany's borders. So, the agreement was carefully worded to say "the western border of Poland" instead of "the border between Germany and Poland."

The End of the Ministry

The ministry was closed down in 1991. This was about a year after Germany became one country again. The ministry had played a big role in helping with this change. Now, all matters that used to be "intra-German affairs" are handled by the Ministry of the Interior. The Minister of the Interior also has a special role as the Commissioner for the New Bundesländer. This shows that there is still work to make sure all the states in Germany are equal.

Who Were the Ministers?

Here are the people who led the Federal Ministry of Intra-German Relations: