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Gala Highlights Effort to Rebuild Famed Berlin Palace as New Cultural Forum;
Ambassador Klaus Scharioth and his wife, Ulrike Scharioth, welcomed former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to their residence as the guest of honor Wednesday night at a black-tie event raising awareness of the major restoration effort planned for the heart of Berlin, the reconstruction of the Berlin Palace. The massive baroque edifice was damaged by bombing in World War II and then demolished by the East German regime in 1950. Speaking to the distinguished guests from the arts, business, politics and journalism, Ambassador Scharioth called the site in the center of the capital city “the best location in Germany.” The reconstruction would at once restore the historic and architectural center of the city and create a new and unique cultural forum that brings together the arts, sciences, museums, libraries and universities Scharioth said.
In his remarks, Dr. Kissinger pointed out that it was quite remarkable that as a native of Fürth in Bavaria he would support such a project outside of his region. “I was so impressed by the dedication of the people who wanted to rebuild in their city not a memory of the emperor, but a memory of the character of Berlin,” he said. The project is worthy of support from America, he said. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall “one of the great achievements on both sides of the Atlantic is that two societies that were engaged in bitter war … then found a way not just to work together but to develop parallel values and convictions.”
The demolition of the Berlin Palace, part of which dated to the 15th century, left a hole not just in the city center’s physical landscape but also in the heart and soul of the city. The plan to rebuild, approved by the German parliament, will not bring back a royal or political symbol. Rather, it will create a place of encounter with world culture and knowledge. The faithfully reconstructed baroque façade will house the Humboldt Forum—named for Europe’s famous humanists, brothers Alexander and Wilhelm von Humboldt—with museum collections, various research institutions, seminar halls and performance space, all state-of-the-art. The German Government will finance the major part of this grand undertaking, to begin in 2010 and be completed in 2015, while the Berliner Schloss Association (Förderverein Berliner Schloss e.V.) is spearheading the drive in Germany and internationally to raise 80 million euros in private donations.
“I encourage anyone who can give any encouragement to this enterprise to do it,” Dr. Kissinger said. March 6, 2008 Link
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