February 2001 - Nr. 2
Prussian Tercentennial
TWIG - In a ceremony held in Berlin’s Schauspielhaus am Gendarmenmarkt, Thursday, January 18, Berlin and Brandenburg remembered the crowning of the first king of Prussia three centuries ago. Mayor Eberhard Diepgen (CDU) of Berlin and Prime Minister Manfred Stolpe (SPD) of Brandenburg called on Germany to celebrate such Prussian virtues as tolerance, honour and cosmopolitanism that are still fundamental to society today. One of Prussia’s great legacies, observed Diepgen, was that it brought people from different backgrounds together under a uniform system of laws and values, showing tolerance toward different religious communities.
Thursday’s ceremony was just one of a series of cultural events commemorating the coronation of Frederick I on January 18, 1701. Wednesday marked the opening of the Oranienburg Palace Museum, with an exhibition focusing on the reign of Frederick William, the Great Elector (1620-1688). The palace, which was built beginning in 1651 for Frederick William’s wife Louise Henriette, was later expanded and lavishly furnished by Elector Frederick III, the future Prussian king. Items on display include paintings by Anthonis van Dyck and Jan Lieven, illustrating Brandenburg’s historical ties with the Netherlands.
As Prussia and its heritage are celebrated, Potsdam historian Julius H. Schoeps hopes its liberal and democratic traditions will be emphasized, rather than its reputation as a military and political power. Prussia was never conceived as a nation, but rather as a supranational organization, Schoeps noted in an interview with the German Press Agency (dpa) Wednesday. As a bridge between eastern and western Europe, it could serve as a model for the European Union. Politicians debating immigration and citizenship rights might also do well to consider the history of the state. "Prussia didn’t define itself ethnically, but territorially. It was a large state - from Koenigsberg to Holland - in which there was no leading nation (Staatsvolk)." Outsiders, including both Christians and Jews, were invited to settle there, although mainly for economic reasons, according to Schoeps. "If this went hand in hand with tolerance in Prussia, so much the better."
