Germany in my eyes after
unification!
To many of us, Germany means the rise and fall of
Adolph Hitler and the Second World War devastation, the bifurcation of the German state in
to two halves popularly known as the West Germany and the East Germany-the former GDR.
Germany also meant to us Friedrick Ebert who steered the nation in the mid twenties of
this century and Chancellor Willy Brandt and Erich Honecker who represented two different
sets of theories then. To some of us during the days of the Cold War, the erection of the
Berlin Wall too attracted attention here in Nepal. Some liked the erection and many
disliked for obvious reasons. A few intellectuals here indeed remember the contributions
of German scholars (philosophers) such as Martin Heidegger and at the moment of Jurgen
Habermas who combines key elements of Continental Western Philosophy and those of
Anglo-Saxon thought. Habermas is considered to belong to the Frankfurt school of thought.
Indeed, some constitutional experts in Nepal do well remember the Weimar Constitution as
well. So Germany to different people means different things.
Last but not the least, Germany to many of the
Nepalese means GTZ, FES and monumental conservation acts which the Germans have been doing
in this country since decades and decades. However, Germany to me is much more than what
average Nepali thinks of that country.
My travel to the Western part of the Germany or say
the Germany of today as it stands tall among the comity of the nations occurred in 1994
February first week. However, that was simply a stop over in Frankfurt for a night or so
on my way to the United States of America. Yet I enjoyed my short stay in Frankfurt for it
could give me some impressions about the strong economy that already the German nation
possesses immediately after the unification. Albeit, some people in the eastern part of
Germany are not happy with the pace of development in their part after the unification.
This August, Dr. Klaus Barth-the German Ambassador
to the Nepali Court proposed a short trip to his nation to which I readily agreed. The
celebrations for which I was invited, I was told later, was to attend a reception by the
Federal Chancellor Schroeder in Hanover-the seat of the just concluded Expo-2000, and to
watch various events pertaining to the completion of a decade of the German unification.
Unfortunately, the bird menace that had terrified
many of us here and abroad at the end of September and beginning October took its toll.
Precisely because of this menace the first of October which should have landed me in
Dresden, Germany, I was lying in my bed the whole day here in Kathmandu. The RA flight
could not fly to Frankfurt that day.
Next morning that is 2nd October, I flew to Dubai
and finally landed at Frankfurt airport. At the ticket transfer counter, the man attending
the tickets smilingly told me that birds perhaps caused the cancellation of your flights
which. I finally reached the first leg of my tour to Dresden some where around late
evening. No one from the German side came to receive me at the airport for they were given
to
understand that the delegate of Nepal was simply
missing. However, at late night friends from the Inter Nationes talked to me over
telephone when I was about to go to bed.
Next morning, we all met at the lobby of the Hotel
in Dresden. Some fifty journalists from different parts of the globe had come to attend
the German celebrations. Since I was missing for all along twenty-four hours, and hence my
sudden presence amidst the crowd of many was pleasant.
On 3rd October morning after the breakfast, Monika
Hebbinghaus of the Inter Nationes accompanied me for a walk around the venue where
Chancellor Schroder was to make his official address to commemorate the tenth anniversary
of the unification. In fact Dresden had been chose for this celebrations. It was here that
the French President Jacques Chirac was specially invited to take part in the
celebrations. While taking a walk, I could see the traditional costumes of the Saxony
area, its culture and heritage. One among the many which attracted my attention was the
“Pied Piper of Hamelin” about whom we had read in our English text books in the
school. The exhibition could give some inkling into the progress, past and the present, of
this part of Germany. It was near to the Semper Opera House and the Hofkirche cathedral in
Dresden that Chancellor Schroeder officially thanked all the nations who contributed
during the unification of his country. This I have already written in the previous issue
of the Telegraph.
The free state of Saxony whose capital is Dresden
throughout in its history has bagged international fame which is based more on peaceful
achievements than military strength. Dresden, the state capital and former royal seat-also
known as the “Florence of the Elbe” because of its cultural riches and beautiful
skyline. In the 18th century, I was told, Dresden and Saxony experienced a great period of
cultural and political ascendancy, particularly under the rule of Prince Elector Friedrich
August I-also known as “August the Strong”, the Prince elector built the Zwinger
Palace, started a number of unique art collections and supported scientific research.
Saxony and its people have a long and colorful past, an exciting present and hopefully
future as well. ( To be continued). |
