Exhibition at Wiener Library - Israel and Germany

On May 12, 1965 Israel and the Federal Republic of Germany established diplomatic relations. The bilateral relations had begun, however, 13 years earlier. On September 10, 1952, Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and Israel's Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett, signed the Reparations Accord in Luxembourg. Throughout the years, despite numerous obstacles, disagreements and controversies, the cooperation between the two countries has strengthened significantly and they have become close allies.

The exhibition marked five decades of diplomatic relations, offered an overview of major milestones of Israeli-German relations. It highlighted various aspects of the relations between the two countries, such as politics, culture, science, trade, commerce, and sport. It narrated the story of how bridges were constructed over the abyss and shed light on both peaks and valleys in the long and difficult process of rapprochement between the two countries.

A large number of archives, Institutes and organizations in Israel and Germany gave us hand and generously provided pictures and documents. We are grateful for their assistance.

Acknowledgments

• Aktion Sühnezeichen Friedensdienste 
• Batsheva Dance Company - The Dance Library of Israel
• Das Bundesarchiv - The Digital Picture Archives of the Federal Archives, Germany
• Goethe Institut
• IDF Archive
• Israeli Government Press Office
• Israeli State Archive  
• Max Planck Society
• Moshe Sharret Heritage Society 
• Politisches Archiv des Auswärtigen Amtes – Political Archive of the Federal Foreign Office, Germany
• The Philharmonic Orchestra Archives, Israel

Curators - Irit Weinberg and Tali Kot-Ofek

Academic Advisor – Dr. Roni Stauber 

View documents and photographs from the exhibition:

1. The Reparations Accord and its Aftermath
2. The Eichmann trial and the establishment of diplomatic relations
3. The 1960s and the beginning of cultural exchange
4. From the Munich Olympics until the end of the 1970s
5. From 1980 until the fall of the Berlin Wall
6. From 1990 until today