Records on the Fall of the Berlin Wall and German Unification

The materials in FOIA 2001-1166-F are a selective, not necessarily all inclusive, body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related materials. FOIA 2001-1166-F contains material relating to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the unification of West and East Germany on October 3, 1990, and the pre-unification negotiations between the U.S., both Germanies, France, Great Britain, and the U.S.S.R., otherwise known as "Two Plus Four (2+4)" or "Six Power Conference." There were also meetings between West Germany, France, Great Britain, and the U.S. that were termed "One Plus Three (1+3)." The White House Office of Records Management (WHORM) Alphabetical Files contain letters from the general public concerning U.S. policy toward German reunification. The WHORM Subject File categories contain correspondence, memoranda, press releases, and reports from the general public, Congress, and the Bush administration. Most of the correspondence conveys constituent opinions about the unification of Germany, the participation of Poland in the negotiations, and the Baltic States' bid for independence from the Soviet Union. There are also invitations to celebration ceremonies and presentations of gifts, letters of appreciation for President Bush's role in unification, and copies of the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany that the president submitted to the Senate, including transmittal letters from the president and the secretary of state. The Staff and Office Files contain agendas, briefing papers, cables, cover sheets, forms, invitations, letters, memoranda, messages, newsletters, newspaper articles, notes, press releases, proclamations, reports, speeches, statements, talking points, treaties, and worksheets. The material can be divided into three main categories: the "Two Plus Four" and "One Plus Three" negotiations, including analysis of obstacles to the process and the procession of events in the unification of Germany; meetings and conversations between President Bush, administration officials, and representatives of the German (both East and West), Soviet, and Polish government officials, including Chancellor Helmut Kohl; and administrative arrangements for events and visits by foreign officials. Considerable attention was paid to the different options available to United States diplomacy and the likelihood of any one scenario being played out. There were also briefing papers prepared for officials involved in Ministerial meetings. However, it should be noted that most of these materials remain restricted because they contain national security classified information. Other material concerns administrative and logistical arrangements for visits by foreign dignitaries and trips to locations both domestic and foreign, as well as drafts of speeches to be given by President Bush. Read less