reunion / goodbye
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reunion
The event in which you meet one or more people again after a period of separation.
Das Wiedersehen mit meiner Familie nach einem Jahr im Ausland war sehr emotional.
The reunion with my family after a year abroad was very emotional.
'Das Wiedersehen' (reunion) is a noun derived directly from the separable verb 'wiedersehen' (to see again) (wieder + sehen). It literally means 'the seeing again' and, like many nouns formed from verbs, is neuter.
Ich freue mich darauf, dich bald wiederzusehen.
I'm looking forward to seeing you again soon.
The greeting formula 'Auf Wiedersehen!' (Goodbye!) is a fixed expression. The preposition 'Auf' here expresses a wish or hope for the future—the hope of seeing the person again.
Vielen Dank für Ihre Hilfe und auf Wiedersehen!
Thank you very much for your help, and goodbye!
When referring to a meeting, 'Wiedersehen' (reunion) is often combined with emotional adjectives. Typical expressions are 'ein freudiges Wiedersehen' (a joyful reunion), 'ein tränenreiches Wiedersehen' (a tearful reunion), or 'ein lang ersehntes Wiedersehen' (a long-awaited reunion).
Nach zehn Jahren gab es ein großes Wiedersehen der alten Schulfreunde.
After ten years, there was a big reunion of the old school friends.
separation
'die Trennung' and 'das Wiedersehen' are clear opposites when talking about people. 'Trennung' means that people are not together or are separated from each other. 'Wiedersehen' means that they meet again after a period of separation. So 'Trennung' emphasizes parting or being separated, while 'Wiedersehen' emphasizes coming together again. 'Wiedersehen' is especially natural when the people know each other and have not seen each other for a while.
Beim Wiedersehen am Bahnhof umarmte Selma ihren alten Freund.
When they met again at the station, Selma hugged her old friend.
Nach der Trennung von ihrer Familie fühlte sich Lena in der neuen Stadt einsam.
After being separated from her family, Lena felt lonely in the new city.