Page 29 - The Cormorant Issue 14

The effects of a Rococo grenade: Eastern Promise: the Trabi at Sanssouci the Wall
again, over the course of our briefing Germany’s equal commit- ment to the EU and NATO was stressed. It was also interesting to hear familiar concerns over ‘wishful timelines in the media’ for withdrawing from Afghanistan. Following another lavish lunch we moved onto Frederick the Great’s summer palace at San- ssouci. Dripping in history and rococo in equal measure, our ever-enthusiastic guides clearly loved their subject and even the sound of chattering teeth and people jogging on the spot to keep warm was not enough to deter them. All in all a fascinating trip... but probably best to visit a summer palace in the summer?
The political dimension took centre stage on Day Four, with visits to the Federal Foreign Office and Federal College for Security Studies, where we were given a useful summary of German pol- icy. Most striking perhaps was the assertion that their two most important foreign objectives are peace policy and disarmament. Interesting too, was their absolute focus on the ‘here and now’, such as trade with France and tighter integration with Russia, possibly at the expense of developing more far reaching relations with other BRIC nations. Our subsequent visit to the College for Security Studies – by far the most insightful seminar on the trip – served to explain the genuine coherence between the military and foreign policy positions.
Created in 1992 to provide advanced training for current and future leaders in Germany, the College is an offshoot of the Federal Security Council and chaired by the Chancellor. This would be the equivalent to a UK college sponsored by the National Security Council, chaired by the Prime Minister, drawing attendees from the foreign affairs, defence, justice and industry fields. The Ger- mans are evidently some way ahead of us in this and it was clear that the debates provoked in the College go some way to provid- ing both coherent and confident strategic decision making. The day was rounded off with another cultural experience, in the form of an exhibition at the Deutches Historiches Museum on ‘Hitler and the Germans.’ The point of the exhibition was to illustrate the ease with which Hitler persuaded ordinary Germans to buy-into his vision and, while the exhibits were extraordinary, it was the reactions of the German visitors that were the most memorable. Confronting the fact that any one of us could be swept-along by a charismatic and convincing despot is rather disturbing.
World War II and its aftermath runs through every aspect of Berlin life. So, while we had experienced issues surrounding the fall of Berlin, the East-West divide and reunification, it was fitting to dwell on the holocaust on our final day, at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Holocaust Mahnmal). An extraordi- nary piece of architecture, located in the heart of the Embassy district, the memorial has always roused strong feelings. Our group was no different, with opinion divided between those at one extreme, who found it cold and oppressive, but somehow fitting, to those at the other, who felt it too impersonal and lack- ing in compassion. Whatever the point of view, and perhaps as a deliberate sop to the harsher criticism, the museum located
Thought Provoking: The Holocaust Memorial
beneath it provided heart-rending accounts of personal trag- edies. It was, to be frank, a relief to emerge back into daylight, but many of us will carry thoughts of this place for some time to come. Our remaining few free hours provided the chance for the obligatory photo opportunity at Checkpoint Charlie and souvenir-hunting, and then we were on our way home.
So what did we learn from the exercise? Firstly, Germany is a fantastic place to visit and its people are some of the most friendly and generous in the world. Germany suffers similar defence and foreign policy issues to the UK and is a commit- ted member, in equal measures, to many international institu- tions. Germans appear to be at ease with their place in the world, despite the challenges they face, and exude a confidence that, presently, is sadly lacking in the UK. And maybe this lesson in German confidence – das Zutrauen – is the one that we really need to take away from the trip.
All Photographs by Maj Spike Martin
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