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 the last place to read Angela Merkel. Even before the event there was a lot going on when the former Chancellor presented her memoirs entitled "Freiheit" on June 24, 2025. The organizers, the German Hygiene Museum, had every effort to make the event an experience for the fans of the politician. MDR reported that there were also numerous supporters of the Chancellor, who were looking forward to the reading. A particularly enthusiastic visitor even described herself as a "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. Her review of the 2015 refugee crisis was particularly high, during which she shaped the famous sentence: "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 not only presented Merkel, but all of Europe with immense challenges. At the time, in summer 2015 there was a drastic increase in migrants, especially from Syria who traveled to Central Europe on the Balkan route. As reported by the bpb , 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 the asylum applications, which, among other things, led to Syrians granted asylum without personal conversations.
As part of her reading, Merkel also brought her attitude towards the current geopolitical situation. Here, in particular, she named Russia's war against Ukraine as an intensifying point that made diplomatic conversations essential. In the reading, she defined true freedom not only as a 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 entered the stage at 7 p.m., was dressed in a gray trouser suit and a pink blazer. After about 90 minutes, in which she gave intensive insights into her life and her political decisions, the present applauded enthusiastically. An incident caused a sensation when a visitor, me Ahmed Khodadadi, tried to hand over a handwritten letter to Merkel, but was prevented from doing so by the security personnel. Such moments show the fascination that the personality Angela Merkel also exercises according to her years in office.
For Merkel, the topic of refugee crisis remains not only a challenge of the past, but also a lesson for the future. In their speeches and public appearances, it becomes clear that the global social and ecological challenges are closely linked and responsible action is required. Bundestag emphasizes, as Merkel in the government declaration in September 2015 the refugee crisis in post-war Germany and is for a fair distribution of refugees in the EU used.
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| Ort | Dresden, Deutschland |
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