30 Years Later: German Reunification Revisited
Channel: United States Institute of Peace
Date: 2021-01-30

While the fall of the Berlin Wall is now celebrated as a symbol of the end of the Cold War, the immediate aftermath was a tumultuous period which could easily have resulted in chaos and conflict. The remarkable diplomatic efforts that reunified Germany offered a blueprint for nations to pursue a shared vision of a Europe whole and free and at peace with Russia as a partner, not an adversary. Together, the leaders of the United States, Germany, Russia and other European friends and allies were able to navigate safely the treacherous path to a post-Cold War world. Essential to that transition was the personal relationship of trust between President George H. W. Bush and West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. Together with Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, they ushered in the dawn of a new age with the security and foreign policy challenges we are still grappling with today.

USIP honored the 30th anniversary of German reunification with the establishment of “Reconciliation Hall” in the Institute’s George H. W. Bush Peace Education Center. This virtual event featured preeminent figures in the U.S.-German partnership and looked back at the lessons German reunification can provide to peacebuilders around the world. It also explored why continued cooperation between the two nations will be as essential to meeting the challenges of this century as they were in meeting the challenges of the 20th.

Welcome and Introductions:

Stephen J. Hadley
Chair, Board of Directors, U.S. Institute of Peace

Emily Haber
German Ambassador to the United States

Lise Grande 
President and CEO, U.S. Institute of Peace 

Panel 1:  Lessons of Reunification for Peacebuilding

James A. Baker, III
61st U.S. Secretary of State

Horst Köhler
Former Federal President of Germany 

Jon Meacham, moderator
Presidential Historian

Panel 2:  Reunification Revisited and What the Future Holds

Condoleezza Rice
66th U.S. Secretary of State

Horst Teltschik
Former National Security Adviser to Chancellor Helmut Kohl

David Ignatius, moderator
Columnist, The Washington Post

For more information about this event, please visit: https://www.usip.org/events/30-years-later-german-reunification-revisited

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The United States Institute of Peace is a national, nonpartisan, independent institute, founded by Congress and dedicated to the proposition that a world without violent conflict is possible, practical, and essential for U.S. and global security. In conflict zones abroad, the Institute works with local partners to prevent, mitigate, and resolve violent conflict. To reduce future crises and the need for costly interventions, USIP works with governments and civil societies to help their countries solve their own problems peacefully. The Institute provides expertise, training, analysis, and support to those who are working to build a more peaceful, inclusive world.