As the map shows us, Germany is at Europe's center -- it has more neighbors than any other European country And it has had a central role in both the problems and progress of Europe throughout its history The role of a reunited Germany in today's Europe is still developing. It is a country of extraordinary contrasts -- bustling cities and peaceful villages, storybook castles and sleek skyscrapers, glorious natural beauty and astounding environmental waste. Divided by the Berlin Wall in 1961 and reunited by its fall in 1989, the complicated and ongoing story of German reunification is related in clear and fascinating detail. Included also is information on Germany's fairy tale folklore, holidays, and the profound contributions Germans have made to life in America.