"Let us pray for the Polish nation and the German nation: Give us, Lord, the strength to come out of the shadow of the past and let us find mutual understanding. Let new horizons of hope emerge through the Polish-German youth exchange".  Those are one of many important words spoken on 12th of November 1989 in the courtyard of the former estate of the von Moltke family in Krzyżowa. During the service, one of the items on the agenda of the visit of the German head of government in Poland, Prime Minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki and Helmut Kohl, conveying the sign of peace, embraced each other as a sign of reconciliation. This gesture, made in exceptional circumstances, took on a very clear meaning and was remembered as a milestone in building friendly relations between once divided countries.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Reconciliation Mass, Dr. Agnieszka Łada recalls the history of Krzyżowa in the programme "Germany in close-up/ Polen verstehen", but also shows Krzyżowa now - a vital place where respect, dialogue and understanding take place.

Dr Agnieszka Łada -

Director of the European Programme in the Institute of Public Affairs and Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Krzyżowa Foundation.

Partners of the cycle: Institute of Public Affairs, Konrad Adenauer Foundation