West Germany by World War II to become the world's third-largest economy. The first chancellor Konrad Adenauer, who remained in office until 1963, had worked for a full alignment with NATO rather than neutrality. He not only secured a membership in NATO but was also a proponent of agreements that developed into the present-day European Union. When the G6 was established in 1975, there was no question whether the Federal Republic of Germany would be a member as well. Following the collapse of communism in Central and Eastern Europe in 1989, symbolised by the opening of the Berlin Wall, there was a
United Team of Germany at the 1956 Summer Olympics United Team of Germany at the 1956 Summer Olympics Germany was represented at the 1956 Summer Olympics by a "United Team of Germany" of athletes from the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) ("West Germany") and, for the first time at Summer Games, also from the German Democratic Republic (GDR) ("East Germany") which had not joined in 1952. Also, the Saarland athletes who had to enter as a separate team in 1952 could now join in even though the accession of their state was not yet in effect. Thus, this was the only Olympic team ever to comprise athletes from three