Germany marks 25 years as a reunited nation today

Fireworks explode during the celebration of the 25th anniversary of German reunification in front of the Reichstag in Berlin, October 3, 2015. REUTERS/Axel Schmidt

Independent.ie Newsdesk

Germany is celebrating 25 years as a reunited nation, with two leaders from the formerly communist east now heading a country that increasingly asserts itself as Europe's political heavyweight.

West and East Germany united on October 3 1990, ending a process that started less than 11 months earlier when the east's communist leadership opened the Berlin Wall under pressure from massive demonstrations.