The link is one that is okay, but there is vast research, Of course the public conscious, the parliamentary conscious shifted and the "first free elections" (read the first with mass advertised elections semi Brexit style) were counted as marker that the unification was the goal of the people. However the joining of the GDR into the FRG was a thing that happened cause of political pressures, from the parliament/executive and the big players in the cold war - make no mistake here.

The people who were for democracy or democratic socialism - were sidelined.