30 Years of German Unity - What's Next?
The conference recording is now online! Watch individual lectures, panels, or the full conference here.
The reunification of Germany has been a key event in recent European history: a turning point in the construction of the EU and for the transformation of Central-Eastern Europe. German unity may seem "natural" today, but in 1990, the prospect of a reunification between East and West Germany aroused strong reactions from its neighbours.
Groningen and the Netherlands were no exception. While many Dutch and Groningers shared the German joy and felt sympathy for the East German population, there was also scepticism: Would Germany become too powerful? What would a reunited Germany mean for the Netherlands, for Europe? How would it affect the relations with the immediate German ‘neighbours’ of the Groningen border region?
At our Citizens’ Conference on December 10th 2021, young and old citizens of Groningen and the German borderland presented their memories of and contemporary views on German reunification and discussed them with an international audience and renowned experts from History, Politics and Cultural Studies.
This conference is part of the Europe for Citizens project rEUnify: A Comparative Study of National Perceptions regarding German Reunification , funded by the European Commission's Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). The project investigates the German reunification in a European context, through a comparative analysis of historical memories and diverging perceptions in Germany and several of its neighbouring countries - Poland, the Czech Republic, France, and the Netherlands. For further information on the project, see here.
Contact: Dr. Florian Lippert
Parts of the Conference (click to play recording)
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Dr. Florian Lippert, conference convenor, Associate Professor European Culture and Literature, University of Groningen / project member rEUnify |
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Prof. Dr. Pablo Valdivia, Chair European Culture and Literature, University of Groningen |
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Dr. Florian Lippert |
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Dr. Iwona Reichardt, Deputy Editor-in-Chief New Eastern Europ e / College of Eastern Europe (KEW), Wrocław, project leader rEUnify and further project members: Adam Balcer (KEW), Jana Juzová and Žiga Faktor(Europeum, Prague), Simone Klee (Institut für europäische Politik, Berlin), Romain le Quiniou (Euro Créative, Strasbourg), Florian Lippert (UG, Groningen) |
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Prof. Dr. Lars Rensmann, Chair European Politics and Society, University of Groningen Divided We Stand? Lingering East-West-Cleavages and Germany's Relations to the Netherlands 30 Years After the Fall of the Wall Followed by a Q&A |
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Prof. Dr. Jacco Pekelder, Director Zentrum für Niederlande-Studien, Westfälische Wilhelm-Universität Münster The rise of Germany in the 19th Century and its development after the 1990 unification from a Dutch and European perspective Followed by a Q&A |
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Before and after Unity. Memories of Division Short Statements by Minke Faber, Petra Nieuwenhuizen, Maria Ufkes-Kayatz, Jaap Wijnja Moderated discussion with the audience |
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Growing up with Transition. Groningen and a newly united Germany Short Statements by Vera Alexander, Floor Haanstra, Annette van Dijk Moderated discussion with the audience |
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Unity as Normalcy. Groningen and Germany today Short Statements by Niklas Abel, Heert de Vries, Britt Scholte-Aalbes, Jarnick Vitters Moderated discussion with the audience |
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“The Dutch Perspective on German Reunification” by the Course Duitse Literatuur en Cultuur 1, European Culture and Literature Presenters: Yanniek Moll, Geanne Kroes |
Project consortium partners: Jan Nowak-Jeziorański College of Eastern Europe (KEW), Wrocław; Chair group European Culture and Literature (Dr. Florian Lippert), University of Groningen; Institute for European Politics (IEP), Berlin; EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, Prague; Euro Créative, Strasbourg
| Last modified: | 31 January 2024 11.58 a.m. |