FNR Ambassador in Ukraine Christoph Vayl attended the opening of the exhibition devoted to Berlin rebellion
October 8 at the first academic building of Zaporizhzhya National University held solemn opening ceremony of the exhibition "We want to be free people! The popular uprising in the GDR June 17, 1953" dedicated to the events of massive anti-government popular uprisings in the GDR, which are called "Berlin rebellion". Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Federal FNR in Ukraine Christoph Vayl and General Consul of FNR in Donetsk Detlef Voltaire during their visit to Zaporizhzhya National University took part in solemn opening of the exhibition.
After FNR Ambassador Christoph Vayl and Rector of ZNU Mykola Frolov cut the ribbon opening the exhibition, Mr. Vayl reminded of the reasons that led in 1953 to the "Berlin rebellion" in the German Democratic Republic, about the progress of popular demonstrations under the slogan: "We want to be free people!". Also honored guest of ZNU said that it was events in 1953 contributed to the fact that after 36 years in Germany was a "bloodless revolution", that enable land consolidation of Western and Eastern Germany.
Rector of ZNU Mykola Frolov on behalf of all those present at the opening ceremony thanked Mr. Vayl for a unique opportunity to see the exhibit and learn more on the history of the German people. "In fact, the events of those times for the German Democratic Republic and the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in many ways similar. For those of students who choose to better understand this topic will find a lot of interesting discoveries. I hope that this exhibition will be the impulse to scientific research for those interested in history, "- said Mykola Oleksandrovych.
Present at the event were able to see the exhibits, which included 130 photographs and documents from 25 archives, including both well-known historical photographs, and not known to the general public. History of the popular uprising that once covered more than 700 cities and towns in Germany, and its tragic consequences are reflected in twenty large poster. Author of the text-photo captions is known historian and writer, Dr. Stefan Walle (Federal Fund for the study of the dictatorship of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (Berlin)), and exhibition designer – graphic artist Thomas Klemm (Leipzig).
Zaporizhzhya National University not accidentally chosen a base for this event: it was considered effective cooperation of our university with German universities and organizations, including the activities of the regional office of the Goethe-Institute on the basis of ZNU.
The exhibition will run until 22 October in the hall of 1st academic building of ZNU, so all interested can get acquainted with it.
Related exhibit within the Germany's week held in Kiev, Odessa, Simferopol, Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, etc.
Tamila Tarasenko
