‘The Miracle of Leipzig’ to be remembered at Rice’s Baker Institute Nov. 2

MEDIA ADVISORY

David Ruth
david@rice.edu
713-348-6327

Jeff Falk
jfalk@rice.edu
713-348-6775

‘The Miracle of Leipzig’ to be remembered at Rice’s Baker Institute Nov. 2
Musical performance, panel discussion and exhibit to celebrate 25th anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s fall

HOUSTON – (Oct. 23, 2014) – A special retrospective of the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War will take place at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy Nov. 2. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Credit: German Federal Archive/Sieghard Liebe

The program will begin with a brief performance by musicians of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, followed by an excerpt of “The Miracle of Leipzig,” a film highlighting the peaceful protest of more than 70,000 people in Leipzig, Germany, whose chants of “We are the people!” and nonviolent demands for freedom paved the way for the fall of the Berlin Wall one month later on Nov. 9, 1989. The film excerpt will be followed by a panel discussion on this historic demonstration and the impact of the end of the Cold War. After a question-and-answer session, the evening will conclude with a reception.

In addition, a public exhibit featuring historic artifacts related to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the role of former Secretary of State and Honorary Baker Institute Chair James Baker III in the momentous events will be on display in the Baker Hall lobby Oct. 31 through Dec. 3. A special opening of the private Baker Hall Gallery Nov. 9 will showcase additional historic artifacts related to the Berlin Wall. Included in the exhibits will be reproductions of photographs and propaganda from Berlin Wall-era Germany, including:

• A photo of Baker receiving the phone call with the news that the Berlin Wall had come down.
• Photos showing the relocation of the Berlin Wall to its current location on the Rice campus.
• Photos of the foreign ministers who played key roles in German unification, both at the removal of Checkpoint Charlie and at a Baker Institute event almost two decades later.
• In addition, a 12-by-4-foot, 5,000-pound section of the Berlin Wall stands at the southeast corner of Baker Hall. It was donated to Rice University in 1991 by the former Houston company Browning-Ferris Industries.

Who:               Panelists: Todd Becker, former consul general of the U.S. in Leipzig; Peter Caldwell, the Samuel G. McCann Professor of History at Rice; and Rainer Eckert, director of the Leipzig Forum of Contemporary History. J.D. Bindenagel, the former deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in East Berlin, will provide opening remarks. Allen Matusow, director of academic affairs at the Baker Institute and the William Gaines Twyman Professor of History at Rice, will serve as moderator.

What:             A special retrospective titled “The Miracle of Leipzig.”

When:             Sunday, Nov. 2, 4:30 p.m.

Where:           Rice University, James A. Baker III Hall, Doré Commons, 6100 Main St.

This event is a prelude to a Nov. 3 performance by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra at the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, presented by the Houston Symphony and the Houston-Leipzig Sister City Association in conjunction with the city of Houston and the German Consulate General in Houston. The concert marks the first performance in a five-city tour of the U.S. to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany. Former President George H.W. Bush and Baker are the honorary chairs for the Houston performance. For tickets and more information about the Nov. 3 concert, visit www.houstonsymphony.org or call 713-224-7575.

Members of the news media who want to attend the Nov. 2 retrospective should RSVP to Jeff Falk, associate director of national media relations at Rice, at jfalk@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.

To attend the Nov. 2 event, the public must register at http://bakerinstitute.org/events/register/1671/?submit=RSVP.

For a map of Rice University’s campus with parking information, go to www.rice.edu/maps.

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Photo courtesy of the German Federal Archive/Sieghard Liebe.

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Founded in 1993, Rice University’s Baker Institute ranks among the top 15 university-affiliated think tanks in the world. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute conducts research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows, Rice University faculty scholars and staff, coupled with its outreach to the Rice student body through fellow-taught classes — including a public policy course — and student leadership and internship programs. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blogs.chron.com/bakerblog.