Germany marks 19th anniversary of reunification

Members of a street theatre group lift a 9.5 meter tall giant model out of the river Spree as part of the German Unification Day celebrations in Berlin on Saturday. Photo: AP

Germany is celebrating the anniversary of its reunification with festivals, concerts and parades across the country.

In the capital on Saturday, giant marionettes suspended by cranes were being slowly marched through the city as thousands watched. The festivities were to culminate at the landmark Brandenburg Gate -- which lies on the former dividing line between East and West Germany.

The two nations were separated for more than four decades until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and official reunification in 1990.

The newly-re-elected Chancellor Angela Merkel began the day at a church service in the south-western city of Saarbruecken where she was later to give a speech.