Ambassadors of Poland and Germany lead a panel discussion in Washington
10.02.2020
The American Institute for Contemporary German Studies at Johns Hopkins University organized a panel discussion titled “Assessing 30 Years of Peaceful Revolution,” in which Polish Ambassador Piotr Wilczek and German Ambassador Emily Haber participated.
Ambassador Piotr Wilczek stated that while Polish-German relations are complicated, the year 1989 was a momentous time in history that brought the two nations closer together. The Ambassador pointed out that during the process of reunification and political transformation, East Germany was strongly supported by West Germany, the latter of which not only guaranteed economic stability, but also provided democratic standards and institutions that were deeply rooted in the European Union. Poland, however, did not enjoy a similar level of support and struggled to both independently solve the economic crisis at the time and to rebuild from scratch the many institutions that comprise a democratic state. In certain cases – the justice system, for example – this process is ongoing.
Among other topics, Ambassador Emily Haber emphasized that the fall of the Berlin Wall was immensely significant for Germans, but that the process which led to its eventual toppling was, to a large expect, initiated in Poland at the start of the 1980s. The bravery of those who participated in the Solidarity movement greatly inspired the rest of Europe.
The meeting was moderated by Eric Langenbacher, Director of the Society, Culture & Politics Program at AICGS. Representatives of the Department of State, the diplomatic corps, as well as business, media, student, and Polish-American organizations also took part in the event.
Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Washington, DC