Foreign Minister Steinmeier is giving the welcome speech on Thuesday, 28 January at a panel discussion open to the press in the Federal Foreign Office, which will look back on the start of the First World War a hundred years ago.

The spring of 1914 saw Europe’s last months of peace before war. A war of which the causes and origins are still being researched by historians today.

Renowned historians and journalists will hold a discussion under the heading “1914 – a Failure of Diplomacy”. The main focus of the discussion will be on the significance of the events of 1914 for diplomacy today.

The panel members are:

- Pascale Hugues (journalist)

- Prof. Herfried Münkler (Humboldt-Universität)

- Michael Thumann (DIE ZEIT newspaper)

- Prof. Andreas Wirsching (Institute of Contemporary History Munich)

The event is being chaired by Peter Lange, Deutschlandradio Kultur. English interpretation will be provided.

Afterwards, guests are invited to view the exhibition currently showing in the Atrium at the Federal Foreign Office – “Dictatorship and Democracy in the 20th Century”. Markus Meckel, former Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for the Study of the SED Dictatorship, will give a speech introducing the exhibition.

Further information:

A guest article by Foreign Minister Steinmeier entitled “1914 – of the failure of and the need for diplomacy” was published in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on 25 January 2014 (www.diplo.de/gastbeitrag-erster-weltkrieg).

Deutschlandradio will broadcast the welcome speech and panel discussion in full, on digital radio and as a livestream, under the title “Documents and Debates”.