Niemcy.Genscher – friendly Polish architect of the unification of Germany and Europe – Gazeta Wyborcza

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Hans-Dietrich Genscher headed in the years 1974-1992 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - first Germany and then throughout Germany. He contributed significantly to the end of the Cold War and the reunification of Germany and Europe. He was an advocate of reconciliation with the Polish.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                          
 

                 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

         

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Future longtime head of the German Foreign Minister and Vice-Chancellor came from Halle in eastern Germany, which after the war was in the Soviet zone of occupation, and after the uprising in 1949, the two German states within the Moscow-controlled communist East Germany.

During the war Genscher like most of its peers belonged to the Nazi Hitler youth, served in the branches of the auxiliary anti-aircraft defense, and before the end of the war was appointed to the Wehrmacht. After the surrender of the Third Reich was captured American.

After graduating from law school in 1952, Genscher, whose political views conflict with the policy of the communist authorities decided to flee to West Germany.

In Bremen, where he initially lived, he joined the Free Democratic Party (FDP) group, which formed in 1969 with the Social Democrats (SPD) coalition government under the leadership of Chancellor Willy Brandt. Initially, he headed the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and in 1974 took over the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the government of Chancellor Helmut Schmidt.

"Ostpolitik" - a policy of detente and agreement with the Polish, Soviet Union and other Eastern bloc countries also continued after he came in 1982 to power the CDU Helmut Kohl. In his government was less liberal FDP coalition partner the Christian Democrats CDU and CSU.

As one of the first Western politicians, Genscher made in the second half of the 80s, despite Kohl, the diplomatic game with the Secretary General of the Soviet Communist Party, Mikhail Gorbachev, to check the credibility of detente gestures Soviet leadership. Kohl compared Gorbachev to initially Nazi propaganda chief Goebbels, after some time he changed his mind about the Soviet leader.

Initially wary of the Polish opposition, he met during a visit to Poland in 1988 with Lech Walesa, chairman of the illegal "Solidarity".

The key achievement of the German foreign minister considered to negotiate by him in September 1989 agreement authorizing the departure of more than four thousand GDR refugees from the German embassy in Prague to West Germany. Photos depicting the moment when Genscher on the balcony of the German embassy in Prague passes refugees joyful news, they are still one of the symbols of the end of the Cold War.

In the process of the reunification of Germany Genscher, in contrast to Kohl showed high sensitivity to Polish demands concerning guarantees for Polish border on the Oder and Neisse. In not been harmonized with Kohl speech at the UN at the end of September 1989, the head Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany addressed directly to the new Polish Foreign Minister Krzysztof Skubiszewski in the following words: "the Lord's people should know that its right to live within secure borders will neither now, neither in the past questioned by us Germans, territorial claims. " German politician introduced this piece of the speech a few minutes before his deliver - says German expert Dieter Bingen.

The government in Warsaw insisted on the initialling of the border before finalizing the unification, Kohl was opposed to such a solution, fearing before the election adverse reactions revisionist circles.

At the risk of conflict with the Chancellor, Genscher pushed through a compromise solution: the parliaments of Germany and the German Democratic Republic in the spring of 1990 years issued a joint statement confirming the border line. After the signing of the final border agreement November 14, 1990 in Warsaw Genscher stressed that the recognition of the border "due to the commandments of peace" and "contribution to the prospect of a Europe without borders". In 1991, he was the initiator of the Weimar Triangle - an informal forum of Polish-German-French, whose aim was to bring Polish to the European Union.

After more than 18 years directing the German Foreign Ministry, Genscher in 1992, unexpectedly resigned. Since that time, he was an active retiree, traveling to give lectures all over the world. Yellow sweater, which signed the most important international treaties, sold years ago at a charity auction for 7 thousand. brands. Living in the former capital of West Germany, Bonn, politician almost to the end of his life performing in public, speaking on issues of international politics.

During one of last year's meeting told the PAP that advocated by Russia thesis that international negotiations on the reunification of Germany in 1990, the West promised Moscow that NATO would not be extended to the East, is untrue. On the other hand, he has consistently advocated for dialogue with Russia.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called years ago Genscher "luck for the Germans." "The recovery of Germany's unity in a peaceful manner and in complete agreement with our partners in the East and the West owe the wise and consistent diplomacy Genscher" - Merkel wrote in a congratulatory telegram published in the press on the occasion of 85th birthday policy.

From Berlin Jacek Lepiarz

         

         

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