Editing Hans-Dietrich Genscher (section)

=== Reunification efforts ===
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1990-0228-030, Erfurt, Volkskammerwahl, FDP-Wahlkundgebung, Genscher.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Genscher in the GDR, 1990]]
Genscher is most respected for his efforts that helped spell the end of the [[Cold War]], in the late 1980s when Communist eastern European governments toppled, and which led to [[German reunification]]. During his time in office, he focused on maintaining stability and balance between the West and the Soviet bloc. From the beginning, he argued that the West should seek cooperation with Communist governments rather than treat them as implacably hostile; this policy was embraced by many Germans and other Europeans.<ref name="nytimes.com"/>

Genscher had great interest in European integration and the success of German reunification. He soon pushed for effective support of political reform processes in [[Poland]] and [[Hungary]]. For this purpose, he visited Poland to meet the chairman of Solidarity [[Lech Wałęsa]] as early as January 1980.  Especially from 1987 he campaigned for an "active relaxation" policy response by the West to the Soviet efforts. In the years before German reunification, he made a point of maintaining strong ties with his birthplace Halle, which was regarded as significant by admirers and critics alike.<ref>William Tuohy (11 June 1989), [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-06-11-mn-3249-story.html Bonn's Genscher Views Gorbachev Reforms as 'Historic Opportunity'] ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''.</ref>

When thousands of East Germans sought refuge in West German embassies in [[Czechoslovakia]] and Poland, Genscher held discussions on the refugee crisis at the United Nations in New York with the foreign ministers of Czechoslovakia, Poland, East Germany and the Soviet Union in September 1989.<ref>William Tuohy (1 October 1989), [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-10-01-mn-1077-story.html E. Germans Win Bid to Go to West : Prague, Warsaw Permit 4,000 in Embassies to Leave] ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''.</ref> Genscher's 30 September 1989 speech from the balcony of the [[Embassy of Germany in Prague|German embassy in Prague]] was an important milestone on the road to the end of the [[GDR]]. In the embassy courtyard thousands of East German citizens had assembled. They were trying to travel to West Germany, but were being denied permission to travel by the Czechoslovak government at the request of East Germany. He announced that he had reached an agreement with the Communist Czechoslovak government that the refugees could leave: "We have come to you to tell you that today, your departure ..." (German: "Wir sind zu Ihnen gekommen, um Ihnen mitzuteilen, dass heute Ihre Ausreise ..."). After these words, the speech was drowned in cheers.<ref>{{cite web|title=Former German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher dies|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35943728|publisher=BBC|access-date=1 April 2016|date=1 April 2016}}</ref>

With his fellow foreign ministers [[James Baker]] of the United States and [[Eduard Shevardnadze]] of the Soviet Union, Genscher is widely credited with securing Germany's subsequent peaceful unification and the withdrawal of Soviet forces.<ref>[http://www.haaretz.com/beta/1.603536 Former Soviet Minister and Georgia Leader Shevardnadze Dies at 86] ''[[Haaretz]]'', 7 July 2014.</ref> He negotiated the German reunification in 1990 with his counterpart from the GDR, [[Markus Meckel]].<ref>[https://www.orte-der-einheit.de/en/ministry-of-foreign-affairs-of-the-gdr ''Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the GDR: A New Beginning with Big Plans''.] In: [https://www.orte-der-einheit.de/en/ Sites of Unity] ([[Haus der Geschichte]]), 2022.</ref> On 12 September 1990 he signed the [[Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany]] on behalf of West Germany.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%201696/volume-1696-I-29226-English.pdf|title=Federal Republic of Germany, German Democratic Republic, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America – Treaty on the final settlement with respect to Germany (with agreed minute). Signed at Moscow on 12 September 1990|date=1 December 1992|publisher=United Nations}}</ref> In November 1990, Genscher and his Polish counterpart [[Krzysztof Skubiszewski]] signed the [[German–Polish Border Treaty (1990)|German-Polish Border Treaty]] on the establishment of the [[Oder–Neisse line]] as Poland's western border. Meanwhile, he strongly endorsed the plans of the Bush Administration to assure continued U.S. influence in a post-Cold War Europe.<ref>Norman Kempster (5 April 1990), [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-04-05-mn-1006-story.html Bonn Official Agrees U.S. Must Play Role in Europe] ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''.</ref>