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Celebrating the Day of German Unity
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Celebrating the Day of German Unity and Freedom Without Walls
On the occasion of the Day of German Unity and the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Consul General Onno Hückmann hosted a reception at the Union League Club of Chicago on October 5, 2009.
The Day of German Unity marks the day in 1990 on which the German Democratic Republic (East) acceded to the Federal Republic of Germany. In 2009, Germany is also celebrating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The events in Berlin in 1989 ushered in the beginning of a new era in history - an end of the cold war, the beginning of a fully united Europe and proof that peaceful change is possible, even in the moments when it seems most unlikely.
On Oct 5th, 2009 in Chicago, the highlight of the evening was a concert by Vocaldente - an a capella group that is living proof of German reunifcation: members include singers from both the former East Germany and the former West Germany. Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, they would never have been able to perform together - now they have become "Germany's most successful a capella export".
Learn more about "Freedom Without Walls" - 20 Years Fall of the Wall
Read Consul General Onno Hückmann's remarks at the Day of German Unity reception:
"Honorable members of the Consular Corps,
Honorary Members of the Clergy,
Representatives of the State of Illinois, Representatives of the city of Chicago,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen liebe Landsleute,
The day of German Unity is a special day for Germany. This year we celebrate 20 years of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. And 2009 is the 60th anniversary of the German Constitution. These two anniversaries are devoted to freedom and unity – and this is cause for gratitude and joy for all of us.
These two important anniversaries are 40 years apart. Yet, both represent the essence of what Germany is and what it stands for today: democracy and freedom! These two anniversaries we remember with a sense of deep gratitude to our American friends.
We all remember the time when Germany was divided.
After 1945, nearly all Germans in East and West wanted to build a better Germany: a peaceful, democratic and just Germany. For 40 years they had to take separate paths. Those in the West were lucky: they were able to build a democratic community. And as they did so, they were supported, encouraged and sometimes even prodded by the Western powers.
Not so in East Germany: there, the Germans had the political and social model of the Soviet occupying power imposed on them. Many could not and would not live like that, and left for the West. Many others stayed – because they had no other prospects, because they hoped that conditions would improve, and some of them because they honestly believed in the GDR. But in the East a new dictatorship emerged. Its authority could only be sustained through barbed wire, shoot-to-kill orders and oppression. Freedom was absent. Some people in the GDR managed their lives with integrity. But many people were broken by this regime. And many people were killed when they tried to flee.
The United States and their allies saved the freedom of Berlin. They saved more than two million men, women and children in West Berlin. They saved them in one of the greatest humanitarian efforts of all times – the Berlin Airlift. Millions of care packages were sent to hunger stricken German children, women and men. Together with the Marshall Plan the Berlin Airlift built the base for the enduring friendship between Germans and Americans.
When the Berlin Wall was built, it was built through the heart of Berlin. It cut the city in half and later it cut whole Germany in half. Families and friends were separated. The Wall divided freedom from repression and fear from hope.
When spirits were low, President John F. Kennedy came to Berlin and encouraged the German people with his famous words “Ich bin ein Berliner”. These words gave hope – on both sides of the Wall and on both sides of the world. They promised that America will stand by the German people in order to preserve freedom. They promised a friendship - a friendship that was a miracle after all that had happened. It was the promise of friendship between two countries who were former enemies and who had fought each other during World War II. It was this promise which kept alive the hopes of the German people.
The Americans kept their promise. Through all the decades America stood by the Germans and preserved freedom. In 1987 President Ronald Reagan called for an end to the Cold War: “Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
The German people will never forget that the Wall came down in 1989 and that Germany became one country again in 1990 - free and united, thanks to the unwavering support of our American friends – from President George H. W. Bush to thousands of U.S. diplomats and millions of U.S. military servicemen and their families who served to achieve this goal.
Today, united Germany is a free country under the rule of law, a country that stands for the values of the Enlightment; a country that strives to contribute to the spread of freedom, justice, human rights and tolerance throughout the world.
Our challenges in this still young 21st century are not less daunting than they were at the start of the Berlin Airlift 60 years ago, but we have proven that we can be successful if we mold our common interests into a common purpose and join our forces in an effort to be wise and generous. This is why the story of Berlin still matters today.
In this spirit: let me welcome all of you again. It is a blessing that we celebrate the 3rd October together. This day should remind us: freedom can be delayed, but freedom can never be fully denied. Friends make all the difference.
Thank you! And enjoy the evening!"
