(From left to right): Michael Gehler, Horst Teltschik, presenter Lisa-Marie Eberharter. © Catholic Academy Diocese of Dresden-Meißen
10. October 2024
Chancellor advisor Horst Teltschik visits Dresden and Leipzig
Dresden/Leipzig. On October 8, 2024, exactly 35 years to the day after the start of the Peaceful Revolution in Dresden, a remarkable event took place in the Dresden Cathedral Forum of the Catholic Academy of our diocese, which once again reviewed the long road to German unification. Prof. Dr. spoke to a full house. Horst Teltschik, one of Helmut Kohl’s closest advisors during the unification process, and the historian Prof. Dr. Michael Gehler about the crucial 329 days from November 9th, 1989 to October 3rd, 1990. The occasion was the publication of Teltschik’s complete diary, which documents this important period of time, by Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. The day before, on October 7, 2024, the political veteran had already been a guest at the Leibniz Forum of the Catholic Academy in the Old Stock Exchange.
Horst Teltschik, former foreign and German policy advisor to Chancellor Kohl, was one of the key players who not only experienced German unification, but also actively helped shape it. His diary, edited by Michael Gehler, offers a behind-the-scenes look at the political decision-making processes that changed Germany and Europe at the end of the Cold War. It provides detailed insights into the negotiations surrounding the opening of the Berlin Wall, Helmut Kohl’s ten-point program, the collapse of the GDR and the challenges posed by issues such as the NATO membership of the reunified Germany and the Oder-Neisse border.
First-hand impressions
The event offered the audience background information and first-hand personal assessments. Prof. Dr. Teltschik also included numerous anecdotes from the days of unification in his report, which are unlikely to be found in history books. His reports from international summit meetings and diplomatic negotiations with the victorious powers of the Second World War were exciting. But Teltschik also looked to the future: In his opinion, listening to one another and communicating honestly are the important qualities that society must learn again in order to overcome the crises of our time.
In addition to the lectures, the focus of the evening was the exchange with the audience. Some of the more than 100 visitors were witnesses to the Peaceful Revolution themselves, experienced the period personally and were also involved in the processes that followed. You take advantage of the unique opportunity to talk to Horst Teltschik about what you experienced, exchange experiences and ask questions that only a contemporary witness can answer.
Teltschik’s diary provides posterity with an extraordinary document that provides deep insights into the political and human dimensions of German unification.
A notice:
The event was broadcast live and can be viewed on the YouTube channel of the Catholic Academy of the Diocese of Dresden-Meißen.
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