Word: brandts
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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With those words, West German Chancellor Willy Brandt last January sought to underscore the uncertain outlook for his celebrated Ostpolitik, whose aim is to close the gap between the two halves of the divided nation. Last week, after a one-day summit meeting with East German Premier Willi Stoph in the West German city of Kassel, even that cautious phraseology seemed too optimistic. The results of the Kassel conference, Brandt conceded sadly, "prove once more how deep is the trench between the two parts of Germany...
...anything, the trench seemed deeper than ever. One reason is that East Germany's Communist Boss Walter Ulbricht fears that closer relations with West Germany might undermine his regime's grip on its 17 million walled-in inhabitants. That anxiety was buttressed only two months ago when Brandt drew spontaneous cheers from East German bystanders on his arrival in Erfurt for the first meeting between the leaders of the two Germanys. Last week, as Stoph came to Kassel for the second session, the Communists clearly were determined to outshine Brandt's reception...
Arrogant Demands. Though West Germany's Communist Party has only about 25,000 members, many of them apparently were bused into Kassel. They were joined by several hundred East Germans who crossed the border for the day. As Stoph drove with Brandt along a H-mile route to the conference site in Kassel's Schloss Hotel, he was greeted by a sea of red flags, cheers and shouts of "Recognition now!" Rightists whistled and hooted at Stoph, but they were outnumbered more than 10 to 1 by the 8,000 or so Communist demonstrators...
...Brandt delivered his opening remarks, an aide handed Stoph a note reporting that an East German flag had been torn down from a flagpole by demonstrators. Obviously prepared, Stoph rudely interrupted Brandt and read a typed statement protesting his treatment. Brandt, ruffled, continued his speech, spelling out his familiar proposal for closer economic and cultural ties between the two Germanys. Then, in a dramatic gesture, he recommended that Bonn and East Berlin exchange representatives of ministerial rank, and that both Germanys seek separate representation in international organizations. His only condition was that both Bonn and East Berlin continue to regard...
Toward that end, Brandt said that West Germans must recognize that "facts have come into being during the past 25 years that we simply cannot reverse." Thus Brandt emphasized that he would be willing to sacrifice German claims to the lands east of the Oder-Neisse Line, which has demarcated the Polish-German border since the war's end, in return for better relations with Poland. Brandt's words were also intended for the East German Communist regime. Next week East German Premier Willi Stoph is scheduled to meet with Brandt in the West German city of Kassel...