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Ministry Walter Ulbricht and the construction of the Berlin Wall
It was a lie that made history: on 15 June 1961, Walter Ulbricht, head of state of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), denied rumours that there were plans to close the border between East and West Berlin. In fact nobody had asked if there were plans to build a wall; it was Ulbricht himself who introduced the idea into the discussion. To this day it is unclear why he did so. What is known is …
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Ministry The resistance group “Rote Kapelle”
The former Reich Aviation Ministry was responsible for sending the German Luftwaffe into the Second World War, but it was also home to resistance to the Third Reich. Harro Schulze-Boysen, who worked at the ministry, was one of the leaders of the “Rote Kapelle” (“Red Orchestra”) resistance group, which was pursued for many years by the Nazis. During the 1930s he was at the centre of a network of …
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Ministry The German Finance Ministry around the world
The German Finance Ministry offers interesting and varied opportunities – not only in Berlin and Bonn but also abroad. Around 80 to 90 Finance Ministry staff work in other countries all over the world.
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Ministry The founding of the GDR in 1949
The building now known as the Detlev Rohwedder Building took on a significant role in the history of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) on 7 October 1949. It was on this day that the German People’s Council (a surrogate parliament for the Soviet occupation zone) declared itself the provisional People’s Chamber and put the constitution of the GDR into effect. The founding of the GDR, and hence …
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Ministry The East German uprising of 17 June 1953
In the years following the foundation of the German Democratic Republic in 1949, social tensions in the country increased rapidly. In 1953, the government tried to get the economic problems under control by raising work quotas. But finally the growing discontent among the population reached boiling point. On 17 June 1953, strikes and demonstrations broke out all over the GDR – including in front …
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Ministry The Detlev Rohwedder Building
The Detlev Rohwedder Building was built between 1935 and 1936 as the headquarters of the Reich Aviation Ministry. Reich Aviation Minister Hermann Göring wanted it to be an expression of political power. This aim was reflected in the neoclassical architectural style, which despite its simplicity made a powerful impression on visitors. The then dark Stone Hall with its low pillars was designed to …
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ECOFIN Statement by Olaf Scholz - Doorstep Ecofin
The first meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) under Germany’s 2020 Presidency of the Council of the European Union took place on 10 July 2020. German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz chaired the virtual meeting and presented the ECOFIN work programme for the second half of 2020: “Europe is facing an unprecedented challenge caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The EU economy …
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Europe Stamp of Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the EU 2020
To mark the Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2020, the German Finance Ministry issued a special-edition stamp. The design of the stamp centres on the logo of the Council Presidency. In our video, Alexander Meier, who created the logo, gives us an insight into how he arrived at the design.