“The Kissinger Saga” - Film Showing
Ambassador William R. Timken, Jr.
Berlin, April 25, 2007.
State Secretary Schmidt,
Friends of the German-Atlantic Society,
I am looking forward to this special film showing of “The Kissinger Saga.” Thank you for the invitation.
Minister Genscher, your presence makes this evening very special. You and Henry Kissinger have much in common. You are the world's longest-serving foreign ministers. Henry Kissinger is the only Secretary of State to have served under two Presidents. Or, as somebody once said – possibly Kissinger himself – the only Secretary of State two Presidents have served under. Like Henry Kissinger, Minister Genscher, you have served for many years as sort of honorary "foreign minister.”
You recently turned 80 and are a few years younger than Henry Kissinger so I think you both qualify as being elder statesmen of the transatlantic partnership. Your advice is widely sought and I know generously offered.
You and Henry Kissinger were also both masters at the art of shuttle diplomacy.
Secretary Kissinger circled the globe and traveled hundreds of thousands of miles in the service of his adopted country. The long list of his accomplishments as National Security Adviser and then Secretary of State included establishing the policy of détente between the United States and the Soviet Union and embarking upon the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks. He set the stage for establishing diplomatic relations between Communist China and the United States.
He was instrumental in negotiating the end of the Yom Kippur War. He and Le Duc Tho received the Nobel Peace Prize for their work on the Vietnam peace accords. Minister Genscher, again like you, Henry Kissinger advanced the cause of peace. You both guided your countries with wisdom and compassion during times of great challenge.
Henry Kissinger’s story has special meaning because of his German roots. In 1938, his family fled Nazi Germany for America. Henry Kissinger went to high school in Manhattan. He became an American citizen in 1943 and served in the United States Army during and after World War II. He then attended Harvard University where he also taught. Although Henry Kissinger never completely lost his German accent or his connections to Germany, his story is an American success story.
My family is also of German origin. My great-grandfather emigrated under very different circumstances. All told, a quarter of all Americans can trace their ancestry back to German roots. This movie tells one part of the story of how German Americans like Henry Kissinger and his brother Walter have enriched America with their industry, culture, and participation in public life.
In closing, I would like to thank Mr. Evi Kurz for writing, directing and producing this inspiring story of the Kissinger brothers. I would also like to thank former Foreign Minister Genscher for sharing with us his experience with his German-American colleague and friend. Finally, I would like to thank the German-American Society for the invitation to join you here this evening.
