On July 1, the competition to select the location for the “Center for the Future of German Unity and European Transformation” was launched. Minister of State Carsten Schneider also appointed HSZG Professor Dr. Raj Kollmorgen to the jury responsible for selecting the municipality where the Future Center is to be built by 2028.

Carsten Schneider, Minister of State and Federal Government officer for Eastern Germany: “I am pleased that we have a diverse jury with a wide range of expertise and experience, and I thank all members for their willingness to participate in this process. The jury members are distinguished by their expertise and independence, drawing from diverse professional and personal backgrounds, and they bring a wide range of perspectives to the selection process.”

Municipalities have until September 30, 2022, to submit an application to host the Future Center. Based on the applications received, the jury will visit the interested municipalities in the coming months and, in accordance with the criteria specified in the call for proposals, make a recommendation to the federal government regarding a location. A decision is planned for early next year.

The “Center for the Future of German Unity and European Transformation” is a recommendation from the Commission on “30 Years of the Peaceful Revolution and German Unity.” The establishment of the center was agreed upon in the coalition agreement and reaffirmed by the federal government and the Bundestag through corresponding resolutions this spring. It is intended to address the processes of upheaval following reunification in East Germany as well as in Central and Eastern Europe after the end of the Cold War, and to facilitate public discourse on these topics.

The decision on the location will be followed by an architectural competition. The goal is to create outstanding architecture of international caliber. The aim is to establish the institution that will operate the center by 2023.