Even as a journalist, Egon Bahr left his mark on Berlin and the nation. "He understood that in 1961, with the building of the Wall, a deep caesura occurred," says Giffey. This was followed by the Basic Treaty (1972) and the Prague Treaty (1973) - "historic building blocks without which the fall of the Wall and reunification would not have been possible." Bahr was a realist: "International politics is never about democracy and human rights. It is always about the interests of states," Giffey quotes the architect of Ostpolitik. -mb

Katrin Rulle

Berliners are familiar with the painful experience of what it means to live in a divided city. "It's important that these stories are told," says Franziska Giffey, "what it meant when people were unable to see their loved ones for years." Often, nowadays, people take freedom, democracy and freedom of expression for granted. But right now, we are seeing that "peace is not a given state but must be fought for, again and again," says Giffey. -mb

Katrin Rulle

In her speech, the Governing Mayor of Berlin points out that we should also honour another anniversary today: On his 80th birthday, 20 years ago, Egon Bahr was made an honorary citizen of Berlin. "Our city owes him a great deal," says Franziska Giffey, expressing her gratitude and underlining how much his work mattered. "He was appreciated across the political spectrum." -ls

Katrin Rulle