speeches by amb. coats

Dear Minister Fischer,
Dear Dr. Rother,
Dear Dr. Kosslick,
Ambassadors, Members of Parliament, Ladies and Gentlemen

I would especially like to thank Dieter Kosslick and Rainer Rother, together with their staffs, for making the Marshall Plan Film Retrospective Series possible. Let me also thank Dr. Rother in his capacity at the German Historical Museum, for providing this beautiful venue for tonight's event. I would note that the modern section of the Museum was designed by one of America's greatest contemporary architects, I.M. Pei. Thus we have before us a concrete example of German-American partnership and transatlantic cooperation, just as the Marshall Plan series reminds us of its important historic role.

I would like to mention one very special guest here tonight, the co-curator and godmother of the Marshall Plan Film Retrospective Series: Many thanks to Sandra Schulberg, a noted filmmaker of her own right, a person with enormous curiosity, full of energy, who not only came up with the idea of the project, but was instrumental in making it come true.

When we were planning for our annual reception on the occasion of the International Film Festival Berlin, it seemed only natural to join forces with the Festival organizers and the German Historical Museum to honor this series. Indeed, these films were made possible through the support of the U.S. Government and the State Department as a result of the initiative of U.S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall.

Over the next several days, visitors will be viewing films from many countries. There will also be workshops on different aspects of film in the early postwar years. There will be showings of films arguing against the Marshall Plan as well as big-budget Hollywood films from that period dealing with many of the burning issues of the time.

Although we stand in a museum tonight, great care has been taken not to make this a "museum" series. The ideals and spirit of the Marshall Plan are still very relevant today -- because the Marshall Plan was really about solidarity and helping people help themselves. As my time as Ambassador to Germany comes to an end, my greatest hope is that future generations not forget the vision, courage and boldness of thought that was demonstrated by both our post-World War II leaders and the people who lived through the postwar and "Cold War" years.

With that thought in mind, I am very glad that we can welcome Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer to speak to us this evening.