The 18th European Conference on Controlled Fusion and Plasma Physics was held in the former East Berlin, within walking distance of many historical sites such as the Unter den Linden and the Brandenburg Gate. The joy and the pain of German reunification were manifest and highlighted in the welcoming speech on behalf of the governing body of the united city. Few speakers could resist the temptation to refer to the fusion of the two Germanies; hopefully, the resultant energy release will be controlled and peaceful.