After a discussion of the circumstances that led to the unification of the two German states, this paper then evaluates the challenges to political education in Germany after unification. Beginning with the focus by the media and politics on the effects of East German political changes on the two German states, the revolution in East Germany and the time period following indicate that the opposition groups that had initiated the revolution and started to carry it out had not acquired any competence in running a market economy. The gap between the intellectual initiators of the revolution and the people becomes evident in the question of unification. The majority of the East German population's view of unification combines a departure from socialism, a desire for prosperity, and the search for identity. In 1990, the voters looked toward the elections in East Germany to bring hope for future jobs, monetary security, and environmental action. The political union of the two German states on October 3, 1990 followed intense negotiation between West Germany and East Germany. On the domestic level, political education in Germany consists of three post-unification challenges to tackle: (1) political education must deal critically with the problems caused by the collapse of the communist social system of the German Democratic Republic (GDR); (2) political education has to concern itself with the questions resulting from the fact that the western industrial states have developed into risk societies; and (3) political education must contribute to the integration of the two German societies. A consideration of the three pedagogical principles in political education and of further inner reunion of Germany concludes the paper. (CK)