The Federal Republic since 1949

This topic covers the history of the Federal Republic of Germany since its founding in 1949. The Federal Republic developed into a stable parliamentary democracy with a social market economy, combining free competition with social protection. From the start it was closely tied into western alliances, including NATO membership since 1955 and membership in the predecessor organization of today's European Union.

From the mid-1950s, the Federal Republic recruited foreign workers through bilateral agreements, first from Italy and later from other countries. These so-called Gastarbeiter (guest workers) and their families continue to shape Germany's immigration history today. In 1968, a broad wave of social protest shaped public debate for years afterward.

A common trap: the Federal Republic from 1949 to 1990 (the "old" Federal Republic in the west) is sometimes treated in questions as identical to reunified Germany since 1990, even though new states and new all-German institutions have been added since reunification. The term "social market economy" is also often explained wrongly, it does not describe a state-planned economy but a market economy backed by social protection from the state.