Our Germany

"Unity and justice and freedom" are both the first words of the German national anthem and three core values that characterize our country. But how have they developed over the course of German post-war history?

What challenges confronted unity, justice and freedom in post-war Germany, and what challenges do these values face today? How do people in East and West relate to them? This three-part documentary delves into the history of the whole of Germany, both Cold War West and East Germany, and talks to Germans, refugees, guest workers and migrants. The never-ending struggle for unity, justice and freedom is illustrated by the historic events of the last 70 years. We hear from many people who have played a decisive role in shaping German democracy: Politicians and protesters; East German writers and the West German journalists who defended press freedom in the Federal Republic; women's rights activists, lawyers who represented the Red Army Faction terrorists; Police officers and data protectors - the winners and sometimes losers in the struggle for our democracy.

The first part concerns unity. Who "belongs" to an open society and who doesn't? How does a democratic society deal with "others," with refugees and displaced persons, with guest and contract workers? How much diversity can a society cope with? And what about the relationship between Germans in the West and those in the former Communist East? We revisit highly emotive questions that have repeatedly been asked over the last seven decades.