Citizens' Campus: "On the way between the worlds" - career of a former GDR diplomat before and after the fall of the Wall

In his book: "Solange wir leben, reichen die Tage", Memoirs of a former GDR diplomat, the speaker, Bert Lichtenheldt, describes his life, which, as with many East Germans, was decisively shaped and changed by reunification. First, he will discuss his training and activities as a diplomat in the GDR, answering questions such as: How did one become a diplomat in the GDR? What kind of people were they anyway? How did they fare after the fall of the Berlin Wall? What opportunities did GDR foreign policy have? In the second part, the speaker will then talk about his second career in the private sector, which brought him back into contact with foreign countries, especially Africa and the Middle East, and his experiences with them. Personal assessments by the author on topics such as the fall of the Berlin Wall, German unity, Russia, and transatlantic relations will round out the lecture. "The author does not mince his words on these and other controversial topics," reads the blurb of his book.

Bert Lichtenheldt began his professional career after his studies (1979 -1984) at the Institute for International Relations in Potsdam-Babelsberg in the Foreign Ministry of the GDR, Department Near and Middle East. Foreign delegations took him to the GDR Embassy in Khartoum/Sudan in 1987 and to the GDR Embassy in Sanaa/North Yemen from 1987 to 1990. From 1991 to 2005, he worked for BASF AG in sales in Africa/Middle East. From 2008 to 2022 he worked as a management consultant for Nesstra Services (UK) Ldt. in Slough/GB and Ashanti Foam Factory Ltd. in Accra/Ghana. Today he is retired.

Speaker: Dipl.-Stawi. Bert Lichtenheldt, Erfurt