Meeting
The Role of Refugees and Displaced Persons in Divided States
Welcome at the office "이북오도" (of the five provinces of North Korea)
HSS
On the 26th of February, the German "Confederation of Displaced Persons" (Bund der Vertriebenen) and the Korean Association of Northern Provinces signed a Memorandum of Understanding of friendship and cooperation on occasion of the visit of the president of the BdV, Dr. Bernd Fabritius, and his colleagues to Korea. Dr. Fabritius is also Federal Government Commissioner for immigrants and national minorities.
Speech by Dr. Bernd Fabritius, Head of BdV Germany
HSS
After World War II, more than 15 million Germans were displaced or refugees from the war. Around 2-3 million died, and millions stayed in the former multi-ethnic regions of Central and Eastern Europe, often a heavily suppressed minority. Those displaced persons settling in West Germany after the war founded the BdV and in 1950 adopted the "Charta of Displaced Persons", which confirmed their right their old home, but renounced war and violence, and demanded a European peaceful integration as a way to overcome the suffering of war and displacement. In Korea, millions fled the North and associations of citizens of the provinces of North Korea were founded. The state supported these, among others by setting up a shadow administration of the former provinces.
From the left: Dr. Bernd Fabritius (BdV), Dr. Bernhard Seliger (HSF), Stephan Rauhut (Association of Silesian Germans)
HSS
Now, Dr. Bernd Fabritius, head of the BdV, together with Christian Knauer, vice president of the BdV, and Stephan Rauhut, head of the Silesian Germans, visited Korea and had intensive talks with the Minister of Unification and other political figures. In the office of the "Five provinces of North Korea" (이북오도) they signed an MoU for cooperation with Kim Han-Keuk, the president of the Central Association of People from North Korea.
Congratulatory remarks by Dr. Bernhard Seliger of Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea
HSS
Dr. Bernhard Seliger of Hanns Seidel Foundation welcomed in his congratulatory remark the cooperation and recalled the great role which the displaced persons can play for overcoming the lack of understanding in divided states and can help heal the wounds of war and displacement. In Europe, the relations between Germany and its Central European and Eastern European neighbors are no longer burdened with the former history, but forward-looking and peaceful. European integration helped to overcome former mistrust and people can once again settle peacefully together. The current mood on the Korean Peninsula might be leading to a similar development and then the wish of thousands of displaced persons to see their old home or the home of their families can become true...