Speech by Karsten D. Voigt, Coordinator of German-American Cooperation, at the Opening of the Exhibition "True Colors. Meditation on the American Spirit" at the Allied Museum, Berlin, September 8, 2003

I deem it an honor to participate today in the opening of the
exhibition to commemorate September 11. Today’s event confirms that we can rightly take pride in what the Allied Museum has achieved over the past ten years.

The Museum tells a story which every German still today recalls with gratitude: the story of how the Allies and the U.S. in particular defended the freedom of Berlin, a city beleaguered and encircled. In those years Berlin was at the center of a global conflict, its name was synonymous with an unshakable determination not to submit. This Museum here on the Clayallee is called upon like no other to keep those memories alive. And the resonance it has found with the public ever since its first exhibition - "They’ll always have a suitcase in Berlin" - in September 1994 is ample proof of how well it lives up to its calling.

September 11, 2001, was a grim reminder to us all and indeed to the world as a whole that freedom, democracy and humanity cannot be taken for granted, they must be cherished, preserved and defended. That is why this is a fitting venue to recall the horror of that day two years ago. I would like to pay special tribute to the initiators of the exhibition for giving us the opportunity here to commemorate September 11, 2001, in a way that is truly meaningful. My thanks go particularly to Museum Director Dr. Helmut Trotnow and his dedicated team. For them this September 11 exhibition is not really a premiere, as they have already displayed a sure touch in dealing with this subject. I was much moved, for example, by the Museum’s sensitively designed exhibition of pictures and writings by children expressing grief for the victims of September 11 and a deep yearning for peace.

All of us still know exactly where we were and what we were doing when the news of the events in New York and Washington reached us. We remember how stunned and shocked we were. We pay tribute to the victims and their families, we feel respect for what we have learned about those final hours. From the countless examples of small gestures and heroic self-sacrifice seen on that day, we know people can achieve true greatness when the power of hope is mobilized in the hour of need. On our television screens we saw survivors staggering out in each other’s arms, firemen who carried on the rescue effort reeling with exhaustion, the message of hope and perseverance that was sent out when the three firemen Johnson, McWilliams and Eisengrein raised the American flag found at the scene of devastation - images that left us deeply moved. They will remain seared in our memories, a challenge we must not ignore.

In evoking these images I want also to make an appeal. We would be wrong to view this exhibition merely as an invitation to pay silent tribute to the victims of September 11. Its real message is the need for active commitment, a commitment each one of us can demonstrate in our own way, in keeping with our individual circumstances. Such commitment must be demonstrated, moreover, also by the community of democracies to which we belong. Given our shared values and interests, we know we will act together in the hour of need, and the hope and confidence that gives us is the best weapon we have in the battle against terrorism.

Among those participating in this exhibition are artists with an international reputation and new talents yet to be discovered. The works on display give an impressive insight into the different ways in which artists may explore a chosen theme, in this case "the American spirit". The variety of approach revealed here is symptomatic of the diversity that is the hallmark of American society. These works compel us to constantly change our perspective, to embrace diversity: they leave us no other choice. Surely there could be no better way to break down the obsolete stereotypes that so often shape our attitudes towards the U.S.! Particularly at a time when unfortunately clichés rather than balanced analysis tend to inform both the public and private debate, this exhibition has, I believe, a valuable contribution to make.

I am very glad to see, too, that one of its objectives is to build bridges between East and West. The exhibition has just been shown in Turkey and after Berlin it will go on to Cairo and Rabat. I am keen to discover how it goes down in the Arab world. And in particular I hope a great many schools will give their young people a chance to visit and discuss the exhibition!

Finally, I would like to thank you and your team, Dr. Trotnow, as well as all sponsors for putting on an exhibition which, like its predecessors, will encourage us to take an informed and balanced view of the United States of America.

Thank you very much.

Allied Museum

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