the first step in the reunification of east and west germany was uniting their

began with the adoption of the West German Deutsche Mark (DM) as the official currency in East Germany, replacing the East German Mark (Mark der DDR or DDR Mark) at a 1:1 exchange rate. This currency union took effect on July 1, 1990, less than a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the beginning of the process toward German reunification.

The currency union was a significant step toward economic integration between East and West Germany and symbolized the beginning of the end of the division between the two states. It helped stabilize the East German economy, eased financial transactions, and facilitated trade and investment between the two parts of the country.

Following the currency union, negotiations between East and West German authorities, as well as international actors such as the United States, the Soviet Union, and other European countries, continued toward the formal reunification of Germany. This culminated in the signing of the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany (also known as the Two Plus Four Agreement) on September 12, 1990, and the official reunification of East and West Germany on October 3, 1990.