The Legacy of 1990: The Path of German Unity

October 3, 2015 marked the 25th anniversary of German Reunification. On October 15, Ambassador Frank Elbe will speak on the crucial factors and events that led up to the historical reunification of the nation and examine the significance for Germany, both in the past and the present.

This event is free and open to the public, but guests should register online to attend by Tuesday, October 13.

A reception with light hors d’oeuvres will follow after the event.

About the speaker

Frank Elbe became a Foreign Service officer in 1972, serving in Warsaw, London, and the Federal Foreign Office’s Department for Issues of Nuclear Disarmament. Elbe served as Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher’s Director of Cabinet (Chief of Staff) from 1987 to 1992. In this capacity he participated in the Two-Plus-Four negotiations that resolved the international aspects of German unification.

He later served as German Ambassador in many countries including India, Japan, Poland, and Switzerland, before retiring in 2005.

His publications include Ein Runder Tisch mit Scharfen Ecken: Der Diplomatische Weg zur Deutschen Einheit (Baden-Baden, 1993; co-authored with Richard Kiessler), which has been translated into English as A Round Table with Sharp Corners: The Diplomatic Course to German Unity (Baden-Baden, 1994).