"In the concluding debate of the German Bundestag
in
reference to the report of the Enquete-Commission `Reprocessing the
history
and consequences of SED-dictatorship in Germany´, of which I was
chairman,
I could stress on June 17th:
`Our past catches us again and again. It is strong and vivid, and we
are witnesses for it to catch us up again every day. It is - at least
for
now - near to us. And this is good, because our past is a treasure
since
it includes our experiences, too - those, which delighted us and made
us
happy, and those, which hurted us or made us sad and angry.
Our past contains our insights, too. Things, which we have learned and
things we were taught. That´s why we are doing well in
confronting
us to our past - together as East-Germans and West-Germans, as one
people.
It is about to look back in a conscious, differentiated, sensitive,
just and understanding way, so that we can win the future.´
Berlin, in the year 2002"
