Chancellor Angela Merkel together with Brandenburg State Governor Dietmar Woidkem this Saturday in Potsdam during the celebration for the 30th anniversary of German reunification. POOL / Reuters
The 30th anniversary of German unification was celebrated this Saturday in Potsdam, the capital of the Brandenburg state, and as expected, the most important holiday in the country was marred by the pandemic, an extraordinary situation that forced the
land
authorities
to Eliminate mass festivities to prevent the risk of contagion.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, as well as Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, and President of the Bundestag, Wolfgang Schäuble, participated in an ecumenical service at the Church of St. Peter and Paul, which was only able to attend 130 people, all with a mandatory mask, and in the midst of an important police presence of some 2,500 agents, sent to contain several demonstrations against the event.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Germans to show the same "courage" in the face of the epidemic in these difficult times as they did when the East German regime fell and millions of GDR citizens had to overcome the difficulties of adapt very quickly to another economic, social and political system that had nothing to do with the Soviet one.
A transformation that raised great expectations, but was also painful.
The central political event took place in an amphitheater located in the legendary Babelsberg studios, where the president of Germany recalled the deeds of the Germans of the now defunct German Democratic Republic (GDR) and which gave life to a peaceful revolution that changed the course of history in the country and in Europe.
"Yes, today we live in the best Germany that has ever existed", insisted Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who recalled that a long way had been traveled towards a unified, free and democratic country in the center of Europe.
“No pandemic can prevent us from being proud of it.
Despite the virus, our country is showing that we are united, that we are strong and we act responsibly, "he added.
Angela Merkel, for her part, in statements on the sidelines of the central ceremony, appealed to the courage of the people and suggested that the population should regain the courage that made the fall of the Berlin Wall possible.
“It took a lot of courage to get here.
The people in the GDR who took to the streets and encouraged the peaceful revolution, but also the courage of those in the former Federal Republic who set the course for German unity, ”noted the chancellor.
A "more insecure" world
“We know that today we must be brave again”, said Merkel “Brave to open new paths in the face of a pandemic, brave to really overcome the differences that still exist between East and West, but also brave to repeatedly demand and work for the cohesion of our whole society ”.
This idea was also mentioned by Steinmeier in her speech.
"The world has become more insecure, many of the obvious things that we have taken for granted over the last 30 years are no longer so," said the president.
“We all wanted to celebrate the 30th anniversary of German unity in a different way.
With packed halls and huge open-air parties here in Potsdam, with thousands of people from all over Germany and our neighboring European states, ”Steinmeier said, mentioning the new reality that the virus has imposed on the country,“ But even if we can't do great official celebrations, the meaning of this day remains.
German Unity Day is an important time to remember with joy and courage. ”
However, Steinmeier had the courage to acknowledge that the country had not yet achieved full integration. "" 30 years after reunification, we have come a long way, but we are not where we wanted to be, "he concluded.