The reunification of Germany is history. The balance sheet of this process, which was by no means solely characterized by successes, raises once again the question of the "German question": Could we have been better prepared for this momentous event? In fact, the federal government had a competent expert committee, the "Advisory Council for Questions of Reunification," established in 1952, which could have supported the reunification process with expertise during the turbulent months of 1989/90, as it had been dealing with the anticipated consequences in all areas of economic and social policy for more than two decades. This almost forgotten institution sought appropriate ways to navigate the reunification and the associated transformation process in the shadow of German politics.