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The Japan Times Friday, OctOber 3, 2014 5 German unity day relationships In commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall growing across ideas lead to change raimund Wörnemann cubated” their own culture for not be part of an agreement direCtor generAl, goetHe- more than 40 years. Dresden on trade arrangements. institut tokyo and its surroundings, for ex- Whenever it comes to the range of areas ample, were called „the valley question of identity — most A beautiful old of the unsuspecting“ as it was of the time it is about nation- German folk completely isolated from for- al identity — this leads to a Hans Carl von Werthern Germany. Many parts of the song, often eign cultural influences. Ac- disruption of borderless ex- AmbAssAdor of germAny so-called five new Federal sung in politi- cordingly, the rapprochement change, with countries im- States, the former Gdr, have cal contexts is took time. It took the two PeN posing a quota or even an The year 2014 been transformed into innova- c a l l e d writers‘ organizations in East import tax on cultural goods has been, and tive, highly competitive hubs “Thoughts are and West Germany almost ten from abroad. In most cases, still is, a year of for industry, research, technol- Free.” and in years until they followed the these countries argue that many anniver- ogy and services. fact, if there political unification and they want to strengthen local saries. it has Not only Germany, but also exists any area of absolute merged into one organiza- arts and promote young talent been 100 years europe as a whole has been re- freedom — at least for the tion. of their own country. But also since the start united. East Europeans espe- time being — it lies in the This must not be simplified during political conflicts, art- of World War I cially cherish the freedom and world and the power of our politically too much, because ists and politicians join in and 75 years security this has brought own thoughts. If our thoughts there is also a North German order to repel the culture of since the outbreak of World about. are unleashed, they will lead and South German culture. undesirable countries. War ii. These occasions are My family and I arrived in us into the realm of fantasy, There are Low German songs Though freedom of informa- important for Germans to re- Japan more than six months of dreams or of euphoria. If and bavarian dances, but tion and communication is flect upon the dark chapters ago and we were warmly re- thoughts are steered into ra- there are no tendencies to guaranteed in Germany, in our nation’s history and to ceived. Since then, my admira- tional channels and support- “unite” these two or other some broadcasters have com- draw lessons for the future. tion and fascination for this ed by collectives, something such traditions. However, the mitted themselves to do more today, however, Germans in country, with its rich heritage, new will emerge — socially, free flow of information — for local music. And of course, Japan and all over the world has grown. Japan and Germa- politically, economically and often linked to cultural ex- public broadcasters have the can think back on a more pos- ny have strong relations. Every culturally new. change — cannot be praised mandate to invest in the edu- itive event. day I witness this strength and This happened in 1989, enough. Interestingly, UNeS- cation of their audience. The 25 years ago, on Nov. 9, 1989, the bond between our two some 25 years ago, when the cO gave up its attempt to en- same goes for Japan, where the berlin Wall came down. countries in my dealings with berlin Wall was taken down force a “World information certain broadcast quotas are The symbol of the cold War politicians, academics and in- and then removed after free- Order” just in 1989, though assigned to culture and edu- and of the division of both Ger- tellectuals, researchers, repre- The fall of the Berlin Wall starts on Nov. 9, 1989, paving the way for German reunification. dom-loving people united. there is still dispute about this cation. But these quotas are many and Europe was crushed sentatives of culture or of civil bundesregierung/leHnArtz From that point on, two com- subject to date. In Europe, this not limited to certain coun- by the aspirations for democ- society. Business ties between pletely different political sys- issue was discussed again tries. racy, freedom and prosperity Germany and Japan estab- two countries, we continue to the rule of the strong. ment in our recent history. tems would gradually grow most recently during the ne- all this can be considered of the east Germans. Oct. 3, lished long ago continue to cooperate closely with each “We are the people” was the Here in Tokyo we do so togeth- into a new united state shar- gotiations of a Transatlantic positive, as long as the pro- 1990 was the day of German thrive. other on threats to our secu- slogan the East German pro- er with our Japanese friends. ing a common culture. That at trade and investment Part- motion of national and re- reunification and we have today’s world faces many rity. The lessons we Germans testers used in one of the few On the Day of German Unity, least was the idea of former nership (TTIP). gional cultures contributes to been celebrating it ever since. new challenges. climate have learned from the events peaceful revolutions history I extend to all readers of The German chancellor Willy The Goethe institute pro- an international variety of Much has been achieved change and demographic of the 20th century are that has ever known, to topple their Japan Times my best wishes for brandt many years before this motes intercultural exchange opinions and variously since then. Today my country shifts are of mutual concern. multilateral cooperation can communist government. health, success and happiness. event, when he evoked the in Japan and believes that cul- shaped thoughts and works, has a president and a chancel- after more than 150 years of replace confrontation and a today, we Germans proudly May our excellent relationship idea of ​a ​“cultural nation” in ture (being a public good), looking for exchange and re- lor who both grew up in East friendly relations between our strong rule of law can replace look back at the happiest mo- continue to flourish. 1973 and suggested the estab- education and media should specting the otherness. lishment of a “German Na- tional Foundation” that should also provide a “home” World is on the verge of the next industrial revolution for the living legacy of east German culture. And indeed manfred Hoffmann 4.0 of up to €267 billion ness-to-business and busi- there was and is an East Ger- delegAte of germAn industry through 2025. companies ness-to-government relations, man culture, as well as a West And trAde in JApAn could raise their productivity but business-to-science rela- German one. After the fall of by 30 percent through the use tions as well. Between Germa- the Berlin Wall, information “What is be- of these new technologies. ny and Japan there is could flow freely, from west to hind all the ‘in- but not only in Germany particularly elevated potential east, as well as from east to dustry 4.0 talk’ has one grown increasingly for cooperation in this sense. west. although there had in Germany?” aware of the need to evolve in- to successfully realize this been secret channels of infor- The German dustrial production. The U.S. cooperation potential, certain mation about the neighboring chamber of government has spent some conditions need to be given, country (West Germany) be- c o m m e r c e $1.6 billion in 2013 to promote including openness, mutual fore — in many places in the and industry “advanced manufacturing.” interest, a readiness to engage GDR people could receive in Japan and china is expected to invest in dialogue and, in many cases, Western television — there other German institutions are over €1.2 trillion over the next a reliable framework of com- were still many areas in so- The old German folk song “Die Gedanken sing frei” (Thoughts frequently approached and three years for the moderniza- mon norms and standards. cialist Germany that had “in- are free) is often sung in political contexts. goetHe-institut asked about this by Japanese tion of its industry. business and government rep- even if the term Industry 4.0 resentatives. In the age of dis- is not known in Japan, the ruptive innovations, German Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Sigmar technologies and issues asso- companies and politicians Gabriel inspects “Industrie 4.0” related technology at Hannover ciated with it have become a alike try to have an ear to the Messe 2014. Deutsche messe hot topic here as well. Germa- ground and are attentive not ny and Japan have been late- to miss out on something new comers of the first and second and potentially ground-shak- Industrie 4.0 forum in Tokyo industrial revolutions, mean- ing. The developments behind ing the introduction of the industry 4.0 certainly have this • Tokyo: nov. 11, 1;30 p.m.-8 p.m. at the Westin tokyo steam machine, mechaniza- potential. • Kyoto: nov. 13, 1:30 p.m.-8 p.m. at Hotel granvia kyoto tion and mass production. In but what is this “industrie the german economic development agency, germany contrast, mastering the third 4.0” as we Germans call it, trade & invest, will organize the 10th Japan-germany in- installment — computeriza- anyway? Imagine a new kind dustry forum 2014 titled “INDUSTRIE 4.0: smart manufac- tion and automation — made of industrial production, turing for the future” in tokyo.

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