1. society
2. unrest and war

Ambassadør dr. Axel Berg
Tale ved åpningen av utstillingen «Targets» med bilder av den tyske fotografen Herlinde Koelbl
Nobels Fredssenter, Oslo 24. september 2015
Sjekkes mot fremføring.
When this exhibition was opened last year in the Deutsches Historisches Museum in Berlin, it was
more than sheer coincidence that it took place on the 8th of May. We all know that this day is a very
important date, also in the history of both our countries, Norway and Germany.
On the 8th of May this year Norway remembered that it was 70 years ago that the country was
liberated from the occupying German troops. Today Norway sees Germany as its most important
partner in Europe. I am, we Germans are, very grateful for having had the possibility to develop these
excellent, very intense and friendly relations with Norway.
Unfortunately, we both had to learn that this era of peace that we were witnessing during the last 70
years in most of Europe has been put into question. We are faced with war, terror and violence, with
conflicts in a way we thought would never occur again. It is in this context that I am approaching
Herlinde Koelbels project “TARGETS”. It shows me that much more than I had thought armies are
preparing for the worst, for taking people`s lives, and not only being peace keepers.
These photographs raise questions, questions I cannot answer, maybe no one can answer with a
plausible explanation. But we have to ask ourselves, what we can do in order to avoid the worst case.
When we talk about avoiding war and violence, diplomacy comes into play, diplomacy that has, that
should have, as its priority task to work for peace, security, human rights and mutual understanding.
And so it is quite understandable that the exhibition in the Deutsches Historisches Museum was
opened by the State Minister in the Foreign Office Michael Roth. And that it was visited by Foreign
Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier the day after the opening. And it is my great pleasure to be here
today, to see it open at the Nobel Peace Center.
“Oppdrag Fred”, det er tittelen på Nobels Fredssenters jubileumsbok etter ti år med et veldig vellykket
arbeid. Jeg er særdeles takknemlig for å ha hatt muligheten til å dra nytte av og oppleve
Fredssenterets arbeid på nært hold flere ganger, det være seg prisvinnernes utstillinger,
boklanseringer eller minnemarkeringen i anledning Willy Brandts 100-årsdag.
Og i dag har vi åpning av en utstilling som passer så utmerket inn i fredssenterets konsept og politikk.
Og som gjenspeiler de nære forbindelsene mellom Norge og Tyskland i denne konteksten. Tusen takk
for at dere gir oss her i Norge muligheten til å bli kjent med Herlinde Koelbls arbeid som gir oss god
anledning til å tenke over en annen verden med uante aspekter og utfordringer.
Liebe Frau Koelbl,
Ich möchte Ihnen danken für ein Projekt und eine Ausstellung, die uns alle bewegen wird, die uns zu
denken gibt, heute Abend und in der Zukunft. Ich möchte Ihnen ganz besonders danken für Ihr
Engagement, Ihren Einsatz, dass Sie nicht locker gelassen, nicht aufgegeben haben. Und ich bin
beeindruckt, wie Sie es fertig gebracht haben, die Verantwortlichen in den Armeen und Streitkräften
für Ihr Vorhaben zu gewinnen und auch dort Anstöße gegeben haben.
Ihnen ist bereits schon so attestiert worden, wie Sie mit Ihrer Arbeit die Auswärtigen Kulturpolitik
unterstützen. Ich will es gleichwohl auch an dieser Stelle tun: „Kultur baut Brücken, Kultur ermöglicht
Dialog.“ Dies gilt auch für diese Ausstellung. Dafür herzlichen Dank.