Willy Brandt Forum
The Willy Brandt Forum in Unkel commemorates the former German SPD politician, Federal Chancellor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Willy Brandt . He lived in Unkel from 1979 until his death in 1992. The museum is run by a non-profit community foundation . It opened on March 20, 2011. In times of the Corona crisis , the Willy Brandt Forum will also remain closed.
Willy Brandt in Unkel
Willy Brandt was an important politician in German and European history in the 20th century. He was recognized worldwide for his lifelong advocacy for peace, freedom, democracy and human rights. He was the only German post-war politician to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1971 . In 1979 Willy Brandt moved to Unkel and lived there as a “citizen among citizens”. Here he wrote his “memories” and looked back on his life. As an “ elder statesman ”, he continued to work around the world for the realization of his political ideals. Willy Brandt died on October 8, 1992 in Unkel. The city has made it its business to preserve the memory of its fellow citizens. After several years of planning, a museum on contemporary history was opened on March 20, 2011 in the center of the historic old town, reminding of the life and work of Willy Brandt. The former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe González and the Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate Kurt Beck spoke at the opening ceremony .
Sponsorship
The forum is supported by the non-profit community foundation Unkel “Willy-Brandt-Forum” . In 2007, the Unkel main branch of Sparkasse Neuwied was transferred to the foundation as the basis. This donation corresponded to a value of approximately 300,000 euros. Other donors were the state of Rhineland-Palatinate (800,000 euros) and the city of Unkel (40,000 euros). The Foundation raised donations of 300,000 euros for this purpose.
A board of four heads the forum. The chairman of the foundation had been Klaus-Henning Rosen , Willy Brandt's former office manager, since 2011 ; Christoph Charlier followed him in March 2014. The deputy chairman of the board is Wolfgang von Keitz , who was the deputy chairman from 2011 to 2018. Chairman Rudolf Barth succeeded. The historian Rudolf Rupperath held the position of managing director until 2018. The community foundation is supported by an eight-person board of trustees. Brandt's widow, Brigitte Seebacher, is also a member of this committee . The chairman is the Mayor of Unkel, Gerhard Hausen. The foundation is advised by a scientific advisory board consisting of five members, including Thomas Krüger , President of the Federal Agency for Civic Education and Jürgen Reiche, Exhibition Director of the House of History , who curated the museum on a voluntary basis.
The exhibition commemorates the politician, documents essential stages of his political career and provides insights into the lesser-known life as a citizen of the city of Unkel. The museum has significant objects and photographs, original film and sound documents and texts. Numerous interactive elements offer young people in particular a playful and exploratory approach to the person of Willy Brandt and the contemporary historical context.
The focus of the exhibition is Willy Brandt's private study from his home in Unkel. Books, memorabilia and personal items reflect the politician's lifestyle and make his work tangible. Other exhibition areas address the chancellor Willy Brandt 1969-1974, its international commitment as President of the Socialist International and chairman of the North-South Commission and the most important biographical stations of his childhood and youth in Lübeck over the years of forced exile in Scandinavia up to his political beginnings in Germany. A small cinema, as well as workstations with internet access, offer the opportunity to study the subject in greater depth. In the basement of the exhibition building, photographs, paintings and sculptures illustrate artistic perspectives on the multifaceted personality of the politician and encourage an examination of the "Willy Brandt myth". Finally, objects, photographs and interviews document the memories of Unkeler Bürger of Willy Brandt in a kind of Sentimental Museum .
A multifunctional room complements the modern equipment of the museum. It is used for exhibitions and lectures. In the meantime, much noticed exhibitions have taken place:
- December 2011: "Willy Brandt: Poland and Germany"
- October 2012: Gerhard Juchem: "Spook in Delmenhorster Church"
- January 2013: "They tried hard" (caricature exhibition about Willy Brandt)
- June / July 2013: "The euro is damaging the crisis" (exhibition with caricatures by Burkhard Mohr )
- July / August 2013: " HAP Grieshaber - an affected contemporary"
- May / August 2015: Klaus Hopf: "Anatomy of the upright gait"
- September / October 2015: Uwe Langnickel: "Stations of Democracy"
- May / August 2016: “Brandt and Christo - The 'Wrapped Reichstag' project”, curator Klaus-Henning Rosen
- August / September 2016: Malte Sonnenfeld : “Pop Art meets politics (er)”, curator Jochen Seidel
The Willy Brandt Forum also goes public through events:
- February 3, 2015 Reading Heli Ihlefeld : "Grass will grow over that too"
- June 12, 2015 Lecture Brigitte Seebacher: “Nothing will be the same as it was before. Willy Brandt, German Unity and Globalization "
- November 7, 2018 Lecture Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul : "40 Years of the North-South Conflict"
- October 20, 2019 Ceremonial event "50 Years of Willy Brandt Chancellorship" with former Federal Chancellor. D. Gerhard Schröder
Portrait gallery, vault and seminar room
The portrait gallery houses art mainly in the form of paintings, photographs and sculptures. The second highlight of the museum can be seen here: the Brandt portrait of Professor Georg Meistermann , which was originally intended for the Chancellor Gallery, which was founded in 1974 by Brandt's successor Helmut Schmidt. There are also photographs by Herlinde Koelbl , Will McBride , Ralph Ueltzhoeffer , Josef Heinrich Darchinger and Robert Lebeck . On July 17, 2016, the collector and entrepreneur Dr. Ulrich Scheufelen from Lenningen / Swabian Alb near Stuttgart presented the Willy Brandt Forum with the bronze portrait of Willy Brandt by Gerhard Marcks as an endowment. He is pleased that the bust from 1970 has found its permanent home in Unkel.
In the vault, the visitor can discover what surprises are hidden in the lockers. A photo wall shows Willy Brandt with the greats of the world, but also as a citizen of the small town on the Rhine. Fifteen questions to the politician, hidden behind small flaps, await an answer. Finally, visitors can take a photo of themselves with a webcam, choose a background from Unkel, a motif by Willy Brandt and a font for the greeting line. The digital postcard created in this way can then be sent as an email free of charge.
A seminar room with 50 seats is available for school classes, students, events, etc. The museum visit can be prepared or followed up here if necessary. Use of the room is free of charge for groups who have booked guided tours. Museum educational material can be made available to teachers on request to prepare for their visit to the forum.
In the six years of its existence, more than 30,000 visitors have found their way to the Willy Brandt Forum Unkel. This number of visitors shows that the idea of running a visitors' museum in Unkel has worked, said the forum's chairman, Christoph Charlier, at the festive event on the occasion of its fifth anniversary on March 20, 2016. Willy Brandt's attraction was unbroken.
Picture gallery
Entrance area
Willy Brandt's study
Multifunctional room
Vault
Ralph Ueltzhoeffer Text portrait Willy Brandt
Willy Brandt's house (2015)
Movie
- Willy Brandt - The years in Unkel. Documentary, Germany, 2017, 29:45 min., Script and director: Susanne Werling, production: SWR , series: Known in the country , first broadcast: October 8, 2017 on SWR TV , synopsis by ARD , online video , available until 8 October 2018. Among others with Brigitte Seebacher , Peter Brandt , Matthias Brandt , Klaus-Henning Rosen , Rudolf Barth and Rudolf Rupperath (Willy Brandt Forum).
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Dennis Betzholz: Willy Brandt Forum. Christoph Charlier on his voluntary work in Unkel. In: General-Anzeiger Bonn from March 25, 2014.
- ^ Suc: Willy Brandt Forum in Unkel. Rudolf Rupperath elected as the new managing director. In: General-Anzeiger of April 28, 2012.
Coordinates: 50 ° 35 ′ 58.8 ″ N , 7 ° 12 ′ 55.5 ″ E