Helmut Kohl is receiving this prestigious honor "for his historic lifetime achievement in politics, a stellar career which reached its apex in the realization of European integration and the reunification of Germany, as well as its inclusion in a united Europe and Western alliances. Helmut Kohl seized the historic opportunity to make German unity a reality. For the nearly 17 million German citizens in the unjust GDR, this unity meant a life of freedom and human dignity. They now also come under the protection of Article 1 of Germany's Basic Law: 'Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority.'"
This was the line of reasoning taken by the Awards Committee of the Roland Berger Foundation. Besides Roland Berger, the members of the Awards Committee are: former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan; Nobel Prize laureates Dr. Shirin Ebadi and Prof. Muhammad Yunus; physician and actress Dr. Maria Furtwängler; former German Foreign Minister and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Joschka Fischer; and former State Secretary and Head of the Office of the Federal President of Germany Dr. Gert Haller.
With a Ph.D. in history, Helmut Kohl - who will celebrate his 80th birthday on April 3 - has long been convinced that an integrated Europe depends on a unified Germany. The unjust regime of one part of Germany, in which state despotism and systematic repression were part of everyday life, stood in direct opposition to Kohl's basic understanding of Christianity, freedom and democracy. The desire to promote human rights and human dignity and to anchor Germany as a reliable ally in NATO and the European Community formed the basis of his political actions. Finally, the vision of a united Europe drove the "Unity Chancellor" on to complete Germany's reunification after the fall of the Wall: "This year - the 20th year of a unified Germany - the unanimous vote of the Awards Committee honors the achievements of a great European," said Roland Berger.
Political scientist Prof. Werner Weidenfeld on the historical context: "The events that shook the world in 1989/90 had many causes: The Solidarity movement in Poland had been a thorn in the side of communism since 1980; Michael Gorbachev's policies of openness (glasnost) and restructuring (perestroika), which in 1987 culminated in the Soviet government relinquishing its monopoly on truth and, consequently, on power; Hungary's opening of the Iron Curtain to Austria in spring of 1989, paving the way to freedom for many East Germans; and finally those citizens of the GDR, who with courage and determination in the fall of 1989 brought down the hostile wall between East and West and forced the SED regime to its knees. Helmut Kohl, however, was the first politician to recognize the enormity and opportunity of this historic moment.
To avoid senseless bloodshed, Kohl's first move after the fall of the Wall was to avoid anarchistic chaos. It was still impossible to tell how the East
Berlin leadership and Moscow would react. At the same time, with his 10-Point Plan from November 28, 1989, Kohl became the first politician to not just hope and dream of German unity, but to tackle the issue from a practical point of view. The response of the East Germans to his visit in Dresden on December 19, 1989, overwhelmed Helmut Kohl, as they chanted "We are the people" and "We are one people". As of this point, Kohl began to work in a hands-on, practical way toward German unity. This unity would not fuel any fears of a new and large Germany, but one that would cement Germany's historic responsibility for a peaceful and democratic world. The "Two Plus Four" process toward German unity could also be carried out successfully because of the international trust enjoyed by Helmut Kohl's Germany. Its willingness to solidify European unity, forgo atomic, chemical and biological weapons and reduce its armed forces was proof of Germany's reliability.
His own experiences during the war and its aftermath taught Helmut Kohl the value of human dignity, freedom and democracy. For this reason, October 3, 1990 - the date of German unification - was more than the culmination of his political career: 'For me, this is one of the happiest moments of my life.'
Reunification was a national event of global significance. The reunification of Germany also meant that the end of foreign rule and repression in the former Soviet satellite state was now irreversible. The end of the East-West conflict marked the beginning of a freer world." In sum, Weidenfeld says: "Chancellor Helmut Kohl played a critical role in ensuring that the people of East Germany and Europe could win back their dignity in freedom."
"It is for this unique historic and statesmanlike achievement in securing human dignity and human rights for the people of East Germany, as well as large portions of Eastern Europe, that Helmut Kohl is receiving the 2010
Roland Berger Human Dignity Award," said Roland Berger. In accordance with the principles and guidelines of the Roland Berger Foundation, Helmut Kohl will devote the full amount of the award's endowment toward promoting human dignity and human rights. He will speak more specifically about his plans at the award ceremony on April 26.
The Roland Berger Human Dignity Award is being given in 2010 for the third time. It honors personalities, institutions and communities that have rendered outstanding service as a successful role model in respecting, promoting and protecting human dignity and human rights and will continue to do so in the future. One previous honoree is Somaly Mam, a Cambodian woman who fights against the sexual slavery of children and young women primarily in Asia. Other award winners include the international organization "Reporters Without Borders", which champions freedom of the press and the journalists and media that uphold it worldwide, as well as Iranian human rights activist and Nobel Laureate Dr. Shirin Ebadi.
The Roland Berger Foundation, headquartered in Munich, is an independent public foundation under German civil law. It was founded by Prof. Dr. h.c. Roland Berger on March 27, 2008. The Roland Berger Foundation is endowed with a foundation capital of EUR 50 million and has an Executive Board and a Board of Trustees.
The Foundation's twofold mission is dedicated to human dignity. Every year, the Foundation presents the "Roland Berger Human Dignity Award", which, along with an endowment of one million euros, is intended to promote the respect, support and protection of human dignity and human rights around the world. Second, the Foundation's educational activities aim to provide talented and dedicated young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds with a top-notch education, thus enabling them to live a self-determined life in dignity.
More information can be found at: www.rolandbergerstiftung.org
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