I am happy to come back to you. – At the moment neither are 40 heads of state and government at my guest nor I visit 40 heads of state and government. – I am happy to be here at this conference, as the Falling Walls Conference on 9 November is already a tradition. What you have already discussed today, shows that the world could actually be quite simple if all these occur “break throughs”. But I’m not a very easy solution. Still, I think it is important to see the world anew.
This day and this place is symbolic enough to give us our jobs, we have to lead once again that to classify them, and also prospects for solutions to . find The 9th November is a day of great significance in German history. The 9th November 1938, for a disaster that is greater than anything we can conceive today. It was a day of infamy, a harbinger 
of the collapse of civilization, the Shoah. German German pursued, because they were Jews. This madness has resulted in an unprecedented crime. He ravaged the Continent and killed millions of people around the earth life. If we are talking here today about the future, then we do that too and just to commemorate the victims of this madness -. An obsession that began in our country, in Germany
with the 9th November 1989 to connect people around the world on the other hand an indescribable happiness: the happiness of the fall of the wall here in Berlin. It is a happiness that has led to the end of the Cold War. The urge for freedom and the courage of the men were stronger than concrete. Berlin, once a symbol of division and stagnation, became the symbol of the breakthrough to freedom. Everyone can see when he’s in the streets of Berlin, that today we have one of the liveliest cities in the world.
The every year on 9 November held Falling Walls Conference is now proposing the bow of the reflection of the past on the exchange in the present to shape the future. This also makes for something special from this forum. It seeks answers to the questions of our time. It’s about future breakthroughs, which encourage us to past breakthroughs.
because here in Berlin Radialsystem share a short time, gives me great joy. The venue is a good frame, because it represents two aspects that are particularly important: creativity on the one hand and diversity on the other side. Both promote the exchange of knowledge, information and ideas. Mutual learning is essential to overcome barriers and open up new horizons for themselves.
Scientific advances are critical to the challenges of global nature makes sense to tackle. – What you have done today by some examples already. – Why is it so important that Germany remains science site, and even be more attractive. If we bear in mind again, what are our chances and our advantages, we see that is the knowledge, the ingenuity, the creativity of our great resources. We are not rich in natural resources can still expect our demographic situation that we are a growing market in the insane orders of magnitude. If one of us wants to have money, we must also refer more to our debt. So our minds are our treasure, our abilities, our history and our tradition from which we can do something. That is why we invest in smart people. We know that the pay off in the long run.
It’s about education opportunities. We need our education system more permeable. We must have research-friendly structures. We need new forms of cooperation, which is currently being negotiated in the capital and perhaps also tested. We need a systematic promotion of young scientists. That it also comes to young talent, I find that very encouraging. Because with fallen walls and boundaries, the world is also open to young people. You have to accomplish its scientific activities are not in Germany, you can anywhere. Therefore we need not so much afraid that we want the talents of the world overrun and all to Germany, but we have instead very advertise that some talents in the world come to us and also do not run all the talents of Germany in the world and not come back.
Ladies and gentlemen, the historical event of the Wall to take this opportunity to lift our eyes to the front and ask what walls fall next – that’s the brilliant idea of this conference. We all feel that our life today is World of great dynamism and complexity. Each day brings new answers to different questions. Same time, each reply actually was back on at least raises a new question, if not several. The change affects the entire society. We live in a very joyous time conversion. It is the development of Internet and information technology is certainly one of the major technical breakthroughs, perhaps comparable to the invention of the printing press.
The developed world’s population itself is very dynamic. Since last week, we are seven billion people on Earth. I would always like to point out the following: When Konrad Adenauer, Chancellor was just one year, there were 2.5 billion people, today there are seven billion people. We Europeans are still a good seven percent of world population; Our share of global gross domestic product is about 20 percent. The trend is decreasing in both cases. This raises the important question of how we live, to live without the expense of our future. This is perhaps the overarching question of how to deal with, we must learn. This applies to several areas, including the debt of individual countries with which we deal with in the moment just special.
The debt issue is striking example of the thinking that just will not know tomorrow that does not ask: What happens next? The interesting thing is that when you have a thinking that knows no tomorrow, speaks, everyone says: Sure, we know that it’s wrong. Still, it’s so hard to get it right. Therefore, I would like to take this 9th November indicate that was established 200 years ago in Berlin by a researcher, what exactly is to determine this issue. “Can take as much advantage of it to posterity, as the present generation makes it her own.” – As it is to use the basics of life like that – I quote – End of quote. We know that it has written a forestry scientist, namely Georg Ludwig Hartig in 1804. This is exactly the definition of sustainability that we now know more English in the form of “sustainability”. But why do we find it so difficult to translate this knowledge into action when we was written 200 years ago?
Mr. Turner told me that you have this morning discussed the research by Elke Weber, a business psychologist at Columbia University is working. Your research can perhaps give us a clue why is it so difficult to translate our knowledge into action. Their research shows that we need to act otherwise is not only understanding, but always a special occasion. Particularly suitable for the change of behavior are unpleasant events. Therefore we should unpleasantness of daily employment, for example with the debt problem, perhaps take an opportunity to reflect on whether we can do something different. One could say: This is the most gratifying unpleasant. This could be a turning point in order to create a moment of conversion.
The present situation of Europe is certainly so unpleasant that they should give more than an opportunity to make a change for the better. The debt crisis is not just something very unpleasant, but in the word’s meaning, a moment of decision, a turning point, a moment of repentance and in turn an opportunity to chart a new path. However, I must tell you that this is not as easy as it seems actually to be logical. To stay in the picture of the day. It really is time and opportunity for a breakthrough to a new Europe
We should not only overcome the current debt problems, but rather also in the morning and think, not at the expense of future . live This means a shift to more sustainable. Our Europe is our future. I talked about that we in Europe still make up just over seven percent of mankind; Germany itself takes just over one percent on the balance. . Even if we believe therefore that we are the largest European economy, we are able to move in this world alone hardly anything
, if we want to consider not only today but tomorrow, then this means that we have the way to a stability Union launch. And we need to change much. If we think about our companies, then, are all well and good intentions, but the actual security of democracies are established structures and established rules that one must respect that are verifiable and non-compliance will have consequences. That’s exactly the problem with which we have to deal with over Europe. So that means it will go not only to deliver good intentions, but it will be to actually carry out structural changes. So I believe that we need in Europe to share responsibility in form of new contractual structures,. Without which it will not go
Now it’s to my chagrin, so that we tortured with the creation of the Lisbon Treaty so – Professor Herzog knows what I’m talking about – that all the politicians involved have exhausted placed on the chairs and said: Never again a contract amendment. If I speak at a conference that deals with “falling walls”, then is also to say that this must fall a wall. For it is perfectly clear: a political community, which declared that their contractual principles can never change it again – no matter what is happening in the world – is not viable. It is my firm conviction. . Therefore we must, because the world is changing so much, and we be able to mentally decide to give an answer to the challenges, and these will be “more Europe” and not “less Europe”
We are witnessing today: Irish concerns are worries Slovak, Greek, Dutch worries are worries, worries Spanish, German or Italian worry, whatever it takes. Our responsibility ends at least not at the borders of our countries. It now extends beyond that. This means nothing else but that European policy has become a European domestic policy. That has changed completely in character. That means we need – which is already much more global -. Think in Europe in the standards of domestic politics and trade
, it may mean something very good, if we learn to take responsibility for European daily experience. Exactly what is meant when I say “more Europe” talking. More Europe – this is ultimately a consequence of the end of the Cold War, the enlargement of the European Union and eventually the defense of common values with global challenges.
When I say “Europe is in a crisis,” then I would add that now is the moment to act. It’s time for a breakthrough to a new Europe. I believe in just such a time is the exchange between science and politics of the utmost importance. Therefore we are happy to take tips and hints. We must also realize, however politically relatively quickly, because the world is not waiting for Europe. It was one of the great errors which in the 19th and 20 Century have built up to think that we were the center of the world without us and that not much going on in the world. This is no longer the case. Because we want but that we are needed in the world, because we ourselves want to live in prosperity, because we want to continue to live in freedom and because we want to think about tomorrow, we need a breakthrough to a Europe of responsibility. I am pleased that on 9 November this year to say here at this Conference. I think we can do it.
Thank you.
Anyone who has the night of 9 on the 10th November 1989 has seen the pictures has still vividly recall the images of the famous press conference Günter Schabowski, the first East Berliners who forced the opening of the border crossing at Bornholmer Strasse in Berlin, of the cheering people on the wall. “Wow!” Shouted the people into the microphones, joy, tears in his eyes.
Few had expected that the case of this monstrous and inhuman building would happen so soon. And so the SED regime, the whole thing had not even imagined. Schabowski should only announce a new travel regulation. But his answer is “immediately – without delay” to the question of the entry into force has sparked a storm on the border crossings, which could be unstoppable. Because people were in previous weeks has become increasingly bold. And impatient.
The first highlight of the Peaceful Revolution
The Berlin Wall was the first highlight of the peaceful revolution in East Germany, which had begun in the summer. From the protests of some civil rights activists against the official vote-rigging in the municipal elections in June, a motion was made, the longed for the end of the GDR dictatorship. Even the flight of tens of thousands on the Hungarian-Austrian border and West German embassies in other eastern states meant that all the world became aware of the human rights violations and abuses in the GDR.
On 7 October 1989, the SED still celebrated the fortieth anniversary of their state. Mikhail Gorbachev on words – “He who comes too late …” – the East German authorities reacted helplessly for much of the population by now he was a bearer of hope. Just two days later attracted masses of people across the ring in Leipzig, the “security organs” had to capitulate to them. It was this, the biggest “Monday demonstration”, which ensured that the trend was irreversible.
Memory
The 20th Anniversary of the 9 November 1989, Chancellor Angela Merkel are very aware of those invited to Berlin, which triggered the Peaceful Revolution, organized, led to success: artists and civil rights activist who had followed the communist regime, but was never silenced. And representatives of churches, which the opposition had given space and protection. It was important to underline Merkel, who really has the wall to fall and the reunification of Germany made it possible.
The 9th November is a Janus-day: He represents the worst crime that was committed in the name of Germany – for the persecution of Jews in the “Third Reich”. And also for the victory of the democratic revolution in 1989. The Federal Government supports and promotes the memory of both events. Their temporal order must consider present and future generations as an encouragement.
Two decades of development of Eastern
22 years fall of the wall are also two decades, “Aufbau Ost”. Especially the people in the new countries in 1990 were facing enormous changes and challenges. With the Solidarity Pact I, followed by 2005, the Solidarity Pact II, created the federal government the financial framework for setting up the central east.
In this year’s annual report on the state of German unity , the federal government determine that the programs have achieved significant for the reconstruction of the East. For example, the gross domestic product per capita in the new states of the original 43 to 73 percent of the western level has risen. The unemployment rate has fallen to below one million.
“Because you can learn from the East!”
Mon, 08/23/2010
Federal Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière pulls in an interview with the Leipziger Volkszeitung a personal account for over 20 years of German unity: “I do not want to live in a country with similar living conditions Equivalent living conditions are the goal, not the same..”
Leipziger Volkszeitung: When you write the unit contract again is probably – what would you do differently?
Thomas de Maizière: It would be a head start for the East and a chance to modernize the whole of Germany was, if you’re not at a stroke all the laws from the West would have taken over. This position was not a majority. Most thought the world go immediately to reason, if not immediately apply to virtually all laws in the joining area. It was Wolfgang Schäuble perfectly with his former right to quote: The German economic miracle would be with the laws of abundance in 1990 not have been possible.
LVZ: What else is wrong?
de Maizière: A bitter mistake was the lack of recognition of East German educational qualifications. The idea that all configurations of a communist state in Germany to be recognized, was the most difficult to West Germans. That it has developed into a problem of different eye level, no one has to wonder. That was a serious psychological error.
LVZ: A long-term study, to feel two-thirds of Easterners as second class citizens – is right and one in four Westerners to.
de Maizière: I had initially seen as a secretary in Schwerin that many East Germans have said: We want it all the way to the west. The self-consciousness of the civil rights movement was the third October 1990 gone – and was replaced by a need-your-help-us mentality. One got in the first years of the most easily support if you said, we are weak. This course will be no great self-confidence. My private empiricism tells me, however, that this is quite different among the younger generation.
LVZ: Today there is no more reason for the feeling of a two-class society?
de Maizière: Not at all! Child care is better in the east, the schools are better. Many employers appreciate just young professionals from the East. There is little fact generation Golf, but rather a very special promotion mentality. This is especially true for young women.
LVZ: moving in droves but the west .
de Maizière: This is now changing. Meanwhile the situation on the training market is so that young people have better opportunities in the East, because there are many more free training places – and then also the possibility of rising faster. This will change the future opportunities in the coming years total.
LVZ: Despite the country’s elite is recruited from the West. Except for the Chancellor is not a cabinet member from the East, no DAX board or chief editor of a major national media.
de Maizière: That’s true, but it has to do. less than the unit with the division Leipzig 1933, with 710 000 inhabitants, Germany’s fifth largest city and third largest headquarters for corporations and large companies. The exodus of business and civic elites has taken place between 1945 and early 50s – one of the bitterest consequences of dictatorship. The catch lasts longer than 20 years. I do not want to live in a country with similar living conditions. For then would have to adjust even the one to the other. Why should adapt to Frankfurt Leipzig on child care? Equal living conditions are the goal, not the same.
LVZ: Which Eastern achievements have become established pan-German?
de Maizière: too few. They all drink champagne while Little Red Riding Hood, many men wear underwear from Bruno Banani … But seriously, much to the west was unfortunately rejected because there was an expectation: the need to change, not us. Meanwhile, the value of nursery schools in West Germany is recognized.
LVZ: Can you think of one other examples?
de Maizière: Sure. Why brings the Frankfurt Messe Leipzig and head of the established series “Frankfurt is reading a book”? Because it promises success! Because you can learn from the East. That would be the high school in twelve years have been helpful, but unfortunately no one has called from the West Saxons, to ask how to do it.
LVZ: Why are actually closed only four percent of all marriages between East and West Germans?
e Maizière: Perhaps because the East is not generally so much married. One thing is certain: Since the turn of a million West German moved to the East. In addition to the migration so there was also immigration. ? When is a new marriage or a marriage between East and West
LVZ: Why will not – as Brandenburg Minister President Matthias Platzeck criticized – with backbiting on the Solidarity Pact still every beer tent in the Twilight Breaking Dawn Streaming Megavideo West to mobilize?
de Maizière: Because there is much ignorance and prejudice . The solidarity pact is part of the Basic Law. What few know: The funding is declining and ending definitely 2019th We urgently need reliability. Because the funding of the East German municipalities and states in the section without the payment of the pact only half as large.