Patron of the Freya von Moltke Foundation

A Word of greeting

Kreisau is a place where European and German-Polish history becomes tangible. A place that symbolizes overcoming the injustice, hatred, and crimes that Nazi Germany inflicted on its eastern neighbors. It stands for overcoming all that once divided us. It represents overcoming all that once divided us. Today, Kreisau stands as a space where the awareness of this shared past informs reflections on a common future — a future founded on democracy, the rule of law, and respect for the dignity of every individual.

The fact that Krzyżowa—formerly known as Kreisau—has become such a place of encounter and peaceful exchange is anything but self-evident. It required many factors to come together: foremost, the willingness for reconciliation that Poland extended to Germany, an act that found its first major expression in 1965 through the letter from Polish bishops to their German counterparts. It also required the vision of Freya von Moltke, who in the 1960s already hoped that “one day, Kreisau would become a place for Polish-German understanding.” Finally, it took the joint efforts of citizens from East and West Europe to develop the ideas and concepts needed to transform the dilapidated estate into a vibrant meeting center. This vision was realized on June 9, 1990, with the founding of the “Kreisau Foundation for European Understanding.” Since its establishment, the foundation has stood for peaceful coexistence between nations, communities, and individuals, while fostering a sense of responsibility and openness, especially among the younger generation.

The Freya von Moltke Foundation for the New Kreisau has become a vital supporter of the International Memorial and Meeting Center at Kreisau. This foundation is dedicated to preserving this site for future generations and raising public awareness of the essential work taking place here. As the patron and a friend of the Freya von Moltke Foundation for the New Kreisau—as a democrat, a German, and a European—I wish for this place to continue flourishing. I hope that many more people will come here to experience what it means to think and act independently and freely, and to reflect together—despite their different origins and motivations—on the past and the future. It is through these efforts that we strive to find the right path forward—for peace and freedom in a united Europe.

Berlin, September 2017