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Ceremony and Exhibition celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall at the University of New England
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- UNE President Danielle N. Ripich, German Consul General to New England Friedrich Löhr, Honorary Consul to Maine and New Hampshire Adrian Kendall and Trisha Mason of UNE (l-r)
- (© UNE)
20 years ago the United States of America stood firmly by Germany's side in securing the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany in peace and freedom. This was honored by the German Consul General in Boston, Friedrich Löhr and the German Honorary Consul for Maine and New Hampshire, Adrian P. Kendall, with a celebration on October 2, 2009 at the George & Barbara Bush Center of the University of New England (UNE).
After a warm welcome by the President of the UNE, Danielle N. Ripich, Consul General Friedrich Löhr traced the history of the Berlin Wall. He began with an introduction to the Berlin blockade and the airlift, the founding of the two German states (East and West Germany), the building and consequences of the wall, the history of the Cold War and the impacts of Perestroika and Glasnost in Gorbachev's Soviet Union. He described the steady growth of the courageous and peaceful protests in East Germany and Eastern Europe that finally led to the fall of the wall, and also paid tribute to former President George H.W. Bush for his unwavering commitment to the peaceful German re-unification process.
This speech was followed by personal remarks from Congressman Michael H. Michaud and by the representatives of Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan M. Collins, all of Maine, as well as Honorary Consul Kendall, who also recognized the service and sacrifice of U.S. servicemen and women to the cause of German reunification and European peace and freedom. A question and answer session offered a chance to clarify the fascinating aspects of this peaceful revolution in Europe, especially for the students of the UNE, who as future leaders will help shape their society.
The event concluded with the opening of a photo exhibit about the fall of the Berlin Wall and the prize winning virtual exhibit “Virtual Wall – ReConstructing the Wall”. This interactive, virtual 3D Installation makes it possible for the viewer to navigate through the current Berlin as well as Berlin at the time of the Wall. This exhibition has already been displayed with great success in Washington D.C., Los Angeles and Boston. The exhibit “Berlin – City of Change”, with impressive pictures and information about Berlin today, also opened at the UNE. The three exhibits about the Fall of the Wall and the current Berlin can be viewed at the University of New England in Maine until October 13, 2009.
This evening was made possible by the collaboration of the UNE, the German Honorary Consulate to Maine and New Hampshire, the law firm Norman, Hanson & Detroy, LLC, the Goethe Institute in Boston, the German Consulate General in Boston and the World Affairs Council of Maine.
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- President George H.W. Bush with German Consul General to New England Friedrich Löhr and Honorary Consul to Maine and New Hampshire Adrian Kendall (l-r)
- (© UNE)
On October 5, 2009, Consul General Löhr and Honorary Consul Kendall were able to thank the former President George H.W. Bush at his residence in Kennebunkport both personally and in the name of the German people for his efforts in achieving German unity. Consul General Löhr also presented an illustrated book about the fall of the wall with a personal dedication from the German Ambassador to the USA, Klaus Scharioth.
For more information, visit:
www.une.edu/ur/news/berlinwall2.asp
