Claim: Horst Mahler, a German former lawyer, gave a speech about Germany on the 1st of December 1997  stating that Germany  had to free itself from its "debt bondage" to reestablish its national identity.
Evidence: Horst Mahler (born 23 January 1936) is a German former lawyer and political activist. While the German courts noted a change in Mahler's political position in the mid-1980s, he first gained attention for it at Rohrmoser's 70th birthday celebration on 1 December 1997. There Mahler gave a speech declaring that Germany was "occupied" and had to free itself from its "debt bondage" to reestablish its national identity.