At the beginning of April, we had the great honor of welcoming Markus MECKEL as the first guest in our new discussion series, the “Unity Talks”. As the last Foreign Minister of the GDR and a key figure in the process of German reunification, he provided personal, nuanced insights into the historical circumstances surrounding German reunification.
A central theme of his talk was the reminder that German reunification was only possible because courageous citizens in the GDR paved the way for change in 1989. The democratic process that followed – especially the first free elections of the “Volkskammer” in March 1990 – demonstrated, in impressive fashion, how clearly the majority had spoken out in favor of reunification. http://markusmeckel.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2024-7-35-Jahre-danach-f%C3%BCr-ein-neues-Narrativ.pdf
However, the desire for a new constitution, which was expressed often, remained unfulfilled, partly because the will for swift reunification prevailed in East Germany and there was strong democratic support for joining the Federal Republic. https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/phoenix-runde/ein-grundgesetz-fuer-alle-was-haette-sich-der-osten-gewuenscht/phoenix/Y3JpZDovL3Bob2VuaXguZGUvNDQ1MTg2Nw
We are grateful to Markus Meckel for his openness and the fascinating discussion. We view the “Unity Talks” as a forum for historical contextualization, critical reflection, and civic dialogue — reflecting our conviction that the law is never separate from democratic discourse.
We would also like to thank John Faulk for another set of great photos, Katharina Meyer for organizing the evening, and Ivette Félix Padilla and Colin Lomas, FRSA for their support with book sales.
We look forward to the next talks on July 10! TBA.
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