The elusive parent inorganic ethylene H₂GeGeH₂ has been isolated in the form of a stable complex for the first time via donor–acceptor coordination with suitable Lewis base/acid combinations (LB·H₂Ge-GeH₂·LA; LB = N-heterocyclic carbene or N-heterocyclic olefin; LA = W(CO)₅). The nature of the bonding in these species was investigated by density functional theory calculations and revealed the presence of polarized Ge–Ge covalent σ-bonds within the H₂Ge–GeH₂ arrays and dative Ge–C interactions between the digermene and the carbon-based Lewis bases.