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Celebrating the Day of German Unity
Guests at this year’s celebration of the Day of German Unity at the German Embassy on Wednesday, October 3, celebrated Germany’s national holiday in the “Garden of Ideas.” Guided by a map through the Ambassador’s Residence and park-like garden, guests discovered why Germany’s eastern states, known as the New Federal States since unification in 1990, are such good locations for investment, particularly in the field of renewable energies. And because it was a party, guests also enjoyed beer, wine and culinary specialties unique to each of the states as well. The evening was capped by a spectacular fireworks display. Ambassador Klaus Scharioth, addressing the crowd after the playing of the anthems of Germany and the United States, pointed out that this holiday is also a day of gratitude to Germany's allies and friends who helped unification become reality. "I know from my own experience that without you and without the unwavering support of the American people, unification would not have been possible, and we won't forget." The celebration is also an opportunity to look toward the future, Ambassador Scharioth said. "The challenges have changed, but the transatlantic partnership remains key to solving most of the problems. Energy security and climate change — which are the themes of our exhibitions tonight — are closely linked issues that represent just another compelling example of global problems requiring close cooperation, a joint approach and global solutions.”
Ambassador Scharioth co-hosted the grand event this year with Federal Transport Minister and Commissioner for the New Federal States Wolfgang Tiefensee. Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte was this year’s guest of honor from the US Administration. Negroponte called German unification one of the historic milestones of the 20th century. "I still find it remarkable that right now a new generation of Germans is growing up that know only a united Germany," he said. Negroponte highlighted the areas of cooperation and shared values between Germany and the United States. He specifically thanked Minister Tiefensee for his efforts in helping to conclude the US-EU open skies agreement earlier this year. Minister Tiefensee, who actively participated in the Leipzig Round Table, one of the round tables formed after the fall of the Berlin Wall to discuss the future of Germany, underscored how far the New Federal States have come since unification. "To reach this stage, we have had to travel down a long road in the past 17 years. Thanks to our efforts, we have turned a region whose industry had been ruined by the communist regime into a country in which there really is a good climate for business." The same pioneering spirit that made America what it is today, Tiefensee said, is at work in the eastern states as they build an economy, modern infrastructure and attract innovative companies from within Germany and abroad, especially from the United States. Michael Ahearn, CEO of First Solar, underscored that message in his remarks. The Phoenix-based manufacturer of photovoltaic modules decided to focus its marketing on Germany because Germany's renewable energy feed-in law created a demand for photovoltaic products, Ahearn said. Just this year, his company opened its largest manufacturing plant in Frankfurt Oder, a location they chose for a number of reasons—proximity to customers and suppliers, demonstrating a return on investment to the German government, and skilled workers with high productivity. "Eastern Germany was on par with any place in the world when it came to supporting high-tech, particularly semi-conductor manufacturing," Ahearn said. Moreover, the town of Frankfurt Oder wanted his company, and First Solar knew they could make a difference there. "It sounds like a classic American dream, but First Solar is largely a German success story," he said. This year’s celebration was organized in cooperation with Invest in Germany, Germany’s inward investment promotion agency, Germany—Land of Ideas, the nation-branding initiative, and the New Federal States: Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia. American, German and European companies with locations in the New Federal States presented groundbreaking inventions and technologies in the field of renewable energies. Cargill Germany GmbH and Crop Energies AG demonstrated their biofuels. Q-Cells AG, Solarworld, Odersun AG and First Solar covered innovations in solar energy. The BMW Group presented a model for sustainable mobility with its hydrogen-powered vehicles.
With its focus on the New Federal States, the Day of German Unity celebration highlighted the progress eastern Germany has made since 1990 and the future-oriented approach to economic development that is making the states highly-valued investment locations. On the sidelines of the celebration, Ambassador Scharioth and Minister Tiefensee innaugurated the Germany—Land of Ideas bus, part of a new photo and essay contest on Germany.info.
In Germany, the city of Schwerin, the state capital of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, hosted the official national celebration of the Day of German Unity with a two-day festival, something of a national block party with each of Germany’s 16 states represented, along with music, food, a parade and fireworks. The national celebration is hosted in a different state capital each year. Around the world, other German foreign missions also took unique approaches to mark the holiday – German Days Tanzania’s National Museum in Dar es Salaam, a focus on the Frankfurt-Rhine-Main region in Seoul, and a celebration under the theme “German Roots” at the General Consulate in Los Angeles, to name just a few examples. October 3, 2007 Photos by Victor Holt for the German Embassy Links
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