Angela Merkel inspires in Dresden: reading about freedom and responsibility

Angela Merkel inspires in Dresden: reading about freedom and responsibility

The Red Hall of the Hygiene Museum in Dresden was filled to capacity for Angela Merkel's reading. There was already a lot of activity before the event when the former Chancellor presented her memoirs entitled “Freedom” on June 24, 2025. The organizers, the German Hygiene Museum, made every effort to make the event an experience for the politician's fans. MDR reports that there were also numerous supporters of the Chancellor who looked forward to the reading with positive expectations and great anticipation. One particularly enthusiastic visitor even described herself as an “Angela Merkel fan”.

It is remarkable that Merkel has been on a reading tour for six months. In this context, she gave insights into her memories and reflected on her childhood as a pastor's child in Templin and her formative years in the GDR. What particularly stood out was her review of the 2015 refugee crisis, during which she famously coined the phrase: “We can do it.” This sentence became a symbol of the openness of German refugee policy, even if the political discussion about the associated challenges did not want to end.

A look back at the refugee crisis

The refugee crisis presented immense challenges not only to Merkel, but also to the whole of Europe. At that time, in the summer of 2015, there was a drastic increase in migrants, particularly from Syria, traveling along the Balkan route to Central Europe. As the bpb reported, the need for “German flexibility” in refugee policy was virulent. In the context of this crisis, Merkel also spoke of a lack of accessibility in the processing of asylum applications, which, among other things, led to Syrians being granted asylum without personal interviews.

As part of her reading, Merkel also discussed her stance on the current geopolitical situation. Here she particularly cited Russia's war against Ukraine as a coming to a head that made diplomatic talks essential. In the reading, she defined true freedom not only as the absence of coercion, but also as responsibility for the community and the active protection of democratic values.

Reactions and circumstances of the reading

Merkel, who took the stage at 7 p.m., was dressed in a gray pants suit and pink blazer. After about 90 minutes in which she gave intensive insights into her life and her political decisions, those present applauded enthusiastically. One incident caused a stir when a visitor, Mir Ahmed Khodadadi, attempted to hand a handwritten letter to Merkel but was prevented from doing so by security personnel. Such moments show the fascination that Angela Merkel's personality continues to hold even after her years in office.

For Merkel, the refugee crisis remains not only a challenge of the past, but also a lesson for the future. In her speeches and public appearances it is repeatedly clear that the global social and ecological challenges are closely linked and that responsible action is required. Bundestag highlights how Merkel named the refugee crisis as the biggest challenge in post-war Germany in the government statement in September 2015 and advocated for a fair distribution of refugees in the EU.