On this website the Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt Foundation intends to offer to researchers and of course to friends of Willy Brandt outstanding contributions (lectures, essays and short articles) on the former politician and statesman. Some of these papers were presented in the lectures series of the Brandt Foundation, others on special events (i. g. the 10th anniversary of Brandt's death; presentation of a new volume of the Berlin Edition etc.):

On the difficult Road to a scientifically-founded Biography of Willy Brandt
Professor Helga Grebing, co-editor of the Brandt Foundation's own Berlin Edition , gives a brief review of the most important biographies published on the former German chancellor so far, outlines general problems in writing biographies and sets up her own demands for a ''scientically-founded'' one on Willy Brandt. PDF-Download ...  (in German only).

Ceremonial Address of Federal President Johannes Rau on the 10th Anniversary of Willy Brandt's Death
October 8th, 2002 was the 10th anniversary of Willy Brandt's death. During an official ceremony of the Brandt Foundation and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Berlin Federal President Johannes Rau – a former friend and close associate of Willy Brandt – delivered the following remarkable address (in German).

Ceremonial Address of Günter Grass the night before the 10th Anniversary of Willy Brandt's Death in Lübeck
Already on the evening before the 10th anniversary of Willy Brandt's death the City of Lübeck (where Brandt was born in 1913) and the Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt Foundation had invited the public to an official ceremony in the Theatre of Lübeck. The famous novelist and artist Günter Grass (Nobel Prize Laureate for Literature) delivered a speech in which he pleaded for keeping up the important 'political legacy' of Willy Brandt. He called upon the rich countries in this world to continue the North-South-dialogue Brandt started more than 20 years ago. It would be high time to put an end to the desastrous conditions in many countries of the so-called Third World. Grass also demanded from the politicians the speedy realization of the project 'Willy Brandt House in Lübeck' he suggested two years ago. The future Willy Brandt House should become more than just a historical site, but also a workshop for solving current policital and societal problems.

Presentation of Volume 1 of the Berlin Edition
Former Federal Minister Björn Engholm, one of Brandt's successors in the office of the Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, presented on March 21, 2002, Volume 1 of the Berlin Edition at the Embassy of the Norwegian Kingdom in Berlin. You find Engholm's thoughts here.

Willy Brandt and Israel
On 16 May 2001 the former Mayor or the City of Bremen, Hans Koschnick, in the Willy Brandt Hall at the City Hall of Berlin Schöneberg gave a lecture on 'Willy Brandt and Israel'. Click here (in German).

Presentation of Volumes 2 and 4 of the Berliner Edition by Chancellor Schröder
Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder presented on September 19th, 2000, to the public the first two volumes of the Foundation's Berlin Edition. You find the (German) text of his speech delivered at the City Hall of Berlin Schöneberg here.

Willy Brandt's European Foreign Policy
Professor Egon Bahr, Federal Minister (ret.) and close foreign policy advisor of Willy Brandt (often called the 'Architect of the Ostpolitik', on 9 October 1998 gave a presentation on 'Willy Brandts europäische Außenpolitik'. PDF-download (in German only).

On December 18th, 1988, Willy Brandt celebrated his 75th anniversary. In honor of the former Federal Chancellor and many years' chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany Federal President Richard von Weizsäcker on 20 January 1989 invited to an official banquet at his residence, the Villa Hammerschmidt in Bonn. Many political companions of Brandt took part and also more than a dozen active or former heads of state and government. Richard von Weizsäcker delivered an official address. His following words of esteem for Willy Brandt became famous: 'You have achieved something quite rare in politics: In your person you have overcome the tension between power and morality. There is no political responsibility without power. Morality without power does not solve any problems. It merely becomes ideology and condemns rather than helps. Power without morality is a dead-end street, because it finds no trust. You have found trust and used it.' Read Richard von Weizsäcker's speech in full lengths here (in German only).