Republicans Convene in Berlin
>> Text of speech by Guenter Nooke MdB: Page 1

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The Peaceful Revolution, German unity and the situation today

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to welcome you very warmly to Berlin, at my workplace, as it were - not only on my own behalf as a member of the German Bundestag, but also on behalf of the Parliamentary Group of the CDU/CSU.

I should begin by asking you to excuse my poor English. Mr. Nickel nevertheless managed to persuade me to give this short speech in English!

I think that your visit also demonstrates that the state of German-American relations cannot be as bad as some suggest. 

By the way, this building is also evidence of the openness of German politics - an openness that cannot be taken for granted in many other nations: Sir Norman Foster, a British architect, had the core of the old building removed and then rebuilt the Reichstag. The original graffiti of the soldiers of the Red Army who had conquered this building during the last few days of World War II in April 1945 was deliberately preserved in the new design of the Reichstag. However, not only did we look for the best architects available internationally, and not only did we give considerable scope to the victors who defeated the German Reich and the Nazi dictatorship, but we also decided to decorate the Reichstag with contemporary art instead of with flags, coats of arms and traditional paintings depicting scenes of German history. 

As a parliamentarian and a politician from Berlin I am particularly pleased that you are holding your Republicans Abroad conference here in Berlin. 

Berlin is always worth a visit! It is the most easterly of the Western old EU capitals and serves as a very good base. The Berliners are very open and often also very direct. But Berlin as a city needs even greater impetus, something which is not only coming from the city itself, but from all those who are coming to Berlin from elsewhere, displaying admirable entrepreneurial spirit by setting up businesses. 

Berlin not only forms a good backdrop for a film. Even Hollywood films are being shot in the region. Berlin offers hotel beds at reasonable rates. It also hosts the world's biggest film festival, the Berlinale. 

As spokesman on cultural and media affairs for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, I am obviously particularly pleased to hear about such eloquent and active people, such art lovers, as Professor Raue bringing the MoMA exhibition to Berlin. As I understand it, it was purely down to his persuasive skills, or perhaps his skilfully presented arguments, that this exhibition came to Berlin, and only to Berlin. Already, the exhibition is a huge success. It seems that Berlin is currently the most fashionable cultural metropolis in Europe. Many people want to come here, to live here and particularly to work here and earn money here. So please do think of Berlin when deciding where to invest. 

But you did not invite me here today for me to promote Berlin to you. Neither do you need me to tell you about art and culture! 

Rather, I have been asked to pass on a few impressions and experiences from my personal perspective as a former citizen of the GDR and someone involved in the 1989 Peaceful Revolution, German reunification and the events of the last 15 years. 

To begin with: a few words about the history of the Peaceful Revolution in the GDR

You are guests today in a city which was once divided, though little remains to be seen of the division today. This unnatural situation and the way in which it was overcome made Berlin and the Brandenburg Gate famous around the world. You will all be familiar with the image of the Berlin Wall, with the legendary words uttered by your well-known presidents: "Ich bin ein Berliner" and " Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate!".

Whilst some in Germany, particularly those on the left, believed that the GDR would exist forever, many Americans, able to see things more objectively from outside, always viewed the division of Germany as absurd. And not only did the Americans help by bringing in supplies by air during the 1949 airlift. They also provided moral support, by refusing to accept the Wall, barbed wire and the death strip in this city. We in East Germany were also aware of this support. During the 40 years of East Germany only few people were actually convinced of the SED-dictatorship. 

For the people of East Germany it was completely unsatisfactory to have to accept, on a long-term basis, the division of Germany following its defeat in 1945. Many in the West said that the division of Germany was the atonement for Auschwitz. But this was obviously not right.

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