The Chancellor visits the exhibition "The Peaceful Revolution 1989/90"

 

Photo: REGIERUNGonline/Bergmann Many thanks to the organisers

During her tour of the open-air exhibition "The Peaceful Revolution 1989/90" currently on show at the Alexanderplatz in Berlin, the Chancellor was impressed to see how Germany has developed over the last twenty years. 

"It is always moving, for me as much as anybody, to see the history again from the very start, the delicate roots of dissent flourishing and growing, also in the neighbouring countries of what was then the socialist world. It is inspiring to see how the environmental movement developed slowly in the former German Democratic Republic," said the Chancellor.
 
She had previously shown a particular interest in the exhibits relating to finalising reunification. on several occasions she asked Tom Sello, the curator of the exhibition for more details. Angela Merkel had the Chairman of the Board of the Robert Havemann Society, Siegfried Zoels, explain details on the sections "The Stasi (the East German secret police) files belong to us", "German reunification" and "Elections for Germany as a whole".
 

A new democratic dawn

 
"It is important that we understand that this was genuinely a peaceful revolution. It was not just a little change. It was a radical turn-around that brought democracy, liberty and justice," said the Chancellor.
 
 
At the end of her tour the Chancellor wrote, "My warmest thanks to the Robert Havemann Society for the courage they have shown in organising this exhibition, which makes it clear to all people that we must fight for freedom and democracy. I am very grateful that we can today live in a free country and take it for granted."
 
The exhibition The Peaceful Revolution 1989/90is being staged by the Robert Havemann Society in cooperation with the Kulturprojekte Berlin GmbH. It is funded by the Stiftung Deutsche Klassenlotterie Berlin and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media on the basis of a decision taken by the German Bundestag.