About how other people live think and work and it was always worth it yes im a citizen of the world. This is the story of a farewell the story of the final year in the career of detail a man he has shaped the german Cultural Landscape of the past decades like few others with his incredible ability to grasp at the right moment. As head of the German National library as loued of Museum Island. As president of the ghetto institute but his last 12 months did not go as planned it was a dramatic. A last official trip to africa after a long flight the president of the go to institute touched down in namibia a film a German Colony. History is everywhere in the capital into. The colossal Independence Museum tells the story of the long struggle for liberation from colonialism. The most recent chapter of that story is all about restitution returning cultural artifacts. The tribal leader hendrik that boy isnt a maybe a National Hero because of his resistance against german colonial rule. Its symbolic bibleland which were taken by the germans after his death their return was an important 1st step so it isnt just the removal of objects its basically the breaking up of people of personalities of their selfdetermination and selfconfidence this was common colonialism cant be glossed over this is simply a beginning but theres a lot more to be done here so now is the time to get to know each other and to talk to africans in africa about these experiences and to Exchange Ideas so that these stories can be told of children of lehman was also in namibia to visit the local beer to institute in the center of the tech. The team here had spent 2 weeks preparing a major conference about postcolonialism which took place in quetta tura a former apartheid era township on the outskirts of the tip it was part of a long term project that brings together Museum Experts and Creative Minds from across africa. If you close the show but it is called off because she. Was. There was a sense that things were coming full circle philemon his very 1st official trip in 2008 was to another former German Colony tanzania he had come with good news the use of austerity was that the Good Institute in Dar Es Salaam would reopen after a decade. We are back to dollar so. Africa has been an important focus for the go to institute ever since 12 years later the selfconfidence of a new generation in the world of arts and museums was visible at the conference. The world of your. Life. And fresh concepts such as digitalisation made this conference stand out every new digital we can go to a. Society in which we find ourselves in today does not agree with the principles off our museum so if you cant communicate to an audience who dont understand you know you said the median age of africa is 90. So its really critical that we stop asking this question that who are we speaking to how are we speaking to them what platforms are these thing. But then it was farewell to africa the continent that changed how klaus detail a man saw the world. Because ive always found it terrible that africa is only associated with negative stories ive experienced so many positive things and i think we simply have to get them across to times good news needs to be given a chance as well falls all. That chance would soon come back in germany. A few weeks later the president of the go to institute appeared at the frankfurt book fair. The worlds biggest media trade fair was the perfect stage for a layman to talk about his experiences in vietnam to have to. Start. Its always where he can return to his professional rates as well. In 1908 lehman was appointed director of the National Library almost precisely the west german half in frankfurt the other half was it like to germanys 2 National Libraries the cold war that even divided the world of books. Was when i became director general of the National Library in frankfurt in 88. 00 i made my 1st trip to leipsic. I didnt think it was right for us to be separate entities given that we were founded on common goals good plan we talked about that in my pic. Hed gone there to visit the socalled memory of the nation the German Library was founded in 1912 to collect a. All german language publications under one roof in 1949 it became the Central Library of the workers state and a western counterpart was set up in frankfurt with the same goals. Then in 1909 everything changed hundreds of thousands took to the streets in a peaceful revolution flanked by writers such as stephan hi im. Water transformation its as if somebody had opened the windows after all these years of stagnation. Was. The people liberated themselves from communist rule and east germany fell apart lehmans informal talks with librarians in lexis suddenly became a Political Mission to reunify the institution. But what would become of the German Library in like. Youre go either had been a librarian there since 1974 and was part of negotiations after the wall fell. On them we sat here in this room with lehmann and his partner sat here at the front i was sitting on one of the chairs at the back somewhere because i can remember it quite clearly well initially there was a brief silence he must have been asking himself how we in life would react to these invaders but it wasnt an invasion he was pretty clear about that but he said we were working on a common plan because of the one of the 1st sentences i can still remember was the greater germany thats coming into being here could certainly use a National Library with 2 locations. In august 1990 the 2 german states signed the unification treaty in berlin and the status of the new National Library was made official including its 2 location. Frankfurts and like this. Thanks. To since 912 of the books immortalized in oil on the wall opposite a photo of klaus taken by his friend renowned photographer newton it marks the beginning of a new era as it isnt my 1st of all its very down to earth. Image suggests that he is striving upwards and you can also see that he has a sense of how an image functions and how to come across well in a new ecological niche. Exposed concrete steel and glass below that 3 floors and underground depository 30000 square meters of books. Frankfurts long planned new German NationalLibrary Building was completed in 1997. Degrees. The chancellor himself attended the inauguration and cole was an avid bookworm. After the ceremony he wanted to see the books so we went into the underground stacks. Barely made it out again because cole was so fascinated he kept pulling out different books. I said mr chancellor we should really get back to our guests because that didnt interest them at all. I think we were in the stacks for 3 hours. That was call he always had time for books and for the library. One year until last election later cole was no longer chancellor he handed power over to get hot schroeder. The seat of government in parliament moved from bombed to berlin and a man took on a new role as president of the pression Cultural Heritage foundation on the strength held of the new millennium it was germanys most important cultural position. It brought with it the chance to reshape the face of the Nations Capital with the help of a little political goodwill. The next change of government in berlin would also be good to live on in 2008 he became president of the Good Institute chancellor Angela Merkel paid him a personal visit when he took office it was a 1st and also a sign of the growing global significance of cultural diplomacy or does it was important for us that the chancellor made such a clear signal so soon after i began my time as go to Institute Director in munich who was so 3 encounters and all positive i want my male independent spirit and independence has always been important to me but i dont belong to a Political Party so i can always speak personally and based on facts that probably wasnt a bad thing. In 2019 renowned german violinist anna safina scooped one of the worlds biggest prizes the premium imperioli awarded by the japan art association. Lehmann has been an International Advisor to the prize for years. In the heart of tokyo set among the parks and palaces near the famous maze she shrine lies the nation. And come this traditional site for formal celebrations hosted the awards ceremony though its not quite all city. On your neck i guess must. Leave mom was quite at home in the highly formal setting the prince and princess a touch he were present on behalf of japans imperial dynasty. His distinguished guests worth around 125000 euros the worlds richest up price is awarded in 5 categories and is the femur to whistle a mans choice in 2019 and you might have was a really calm presence in the middle of everything running things and giving everyone the feeling that they were at the center of proceeding in fact it was he who was probably at the heart of it all holding the reins. When tearing germany and the everyday routine as they go to institute at the cultural institutions headquarters near the center of munich its time for the socalled president ial breakfast. Its a way for a layman to ensure that internal exchanges can happen free from a strict top down hierarchy that something 50 years of leadership experience has taught him. 500. 00 go to Institute Employees work in the building the architecture is an example of german postwar modernism it reflects the self image of the institution which was founded in 1951. Practicality clear lines transparency its all mold and just a facade. Being president of the go to institute is an owner of a post which laymen views as vital to defending democracy. Were seeing an oversimplification of things or protel a t. In our disagreements and that worries me a lot for us racism is a dangerous threat that impacts our own credibility thats why we also want to have a stronger presence within germany in terms of cultural education. In 2020 thailands institute 20 to celebrate its 60th anniversary with a Large Programme of events lehmans trip there had been planned for a long time. But then corona virus struck and fears of a pandemic grew. When a man decided to go ahead with the visit Martin Niemeyer the head of the institute in bangkok breathed a huge sigh of relief. The far lampung Railway Station could almost be a piece of europe in central bangkok. The citys transportation hub for over a century it was modeled on frankfurts train station. Basically began my career in frankfurt and i come here to bangkok and what do i see its a little smaller but it has the architecture and the atmosphere of frankfurt Central Station its an odd feeling because its just like at the beginning here i am in my final year working for the go to institute and here is frankfurt train station again this time in bangkok its very emotional. The historic waiting room turned into a pop up concert hall the good to institute had invited Young Musicians from bangkok and cologne to perform pieces by Johann Sebastian bach and john cage amongst other composers it was an unusual experience. For the commuters. My lay man who had turned 80 a few days the floor soaked up the atmosphere. I am im. I thought i did and that it was time to celebrate the day to institute plays an Important Role in cultural life in the thai capital well be isolationists keen to make its presence felt in asia especially at such a critical time and those here appreciate it. But yes i had no idea that jean took over 19 this would be one of the last parties in bangkok for a long while. When lehmann travels his wife lisa usually goes with him on officially and at the couples own expense she says most important confidant. Sifu thought this could not spend a lot of time with my husband after we get going at 7 in the morning we have evenings together we spend an hour having dinner we talk about everything he listens to me and of course i hear about the fascinating things hes doing and everything thats going on the information goes both ways its absolutely equal and so i dont miss out on anything up some more. Easily man remains in the background and yet she is still very present the tumescent university she was the 1st woman to study geo physics in minds half a century ago. This kid there is one consistent dynamic in my life that im very satisfied and happy with my wife its wonderful we have our golden wedding anniversary and all of those things behind us and this stability is really important to me. Otherwise i couldnt do all the things i do. The 2 of us are like a Small Company the name. The name and settle for their return trip to germany. On march 28th thailand implemented a state of emergency to covert 19. As knockdown measures were introduced to bangkok its good to institute to close to the public its the same to the other 157. 00 of them around the world corona has brought the world of institutes to a halt this also means that their main source of income has disappeared language courses make up almost 40 percent of the 440000000 euro budget in germany the president and board are fighting to keep the Cultural Institute going. There. Constantly speaking to m. P. s ministers the Foreign Office which has been very helpful and supportive i do think its good that im still here in this crisis that im available this year just because of my connections and experience which are important in these times i think i would have suffered if i had only been able to experience this phase as an onlooker. The German Government reacted to the crisis quickly and granted the go to institute imagine see age of up to 70000000 euros its a sign of the importance accorded to the Cultural Institutes Worldwide Network and to its most experienced cultural diplomat. He was one of the most influential individuals in shaping developing and even creating International Cultural relations in europe. Thats his legacy which were very thankful for also or we stand these ideas have been incorporated into our policies for europe too well also never forget his relentless dedication and his ability to take a stand especially in difficult times before. Theres a institutes around the world capacity new normal in times of corona all events and services now take place online. Now. Spring in berlin came and went some arrived the president had far fewer possibilities to remain active in his last few months in service in late summer 2020 women returned to Berlins Museum island which he had so passionately reformed and shaped around the turn of the millennium in his capacity as president of the pression Cultural HeritageFoundation New and old come together here to create a truly unique space. In the noise museum the modern staircase is a reminder of the many challenges lehmann had to face at the end of the 1990 s. The grand ensemble of 5 museums on the island was in dire need of redevelopment but also on the list of unesco World Heritage sites. There was no other way but to renovate modernize recreate under rearrange the Museum Island turned into a Major Construction site with laman increasingly becoming the main architect for the countrys Cultural Landscape. In 99. 00 the Museum Directors all agreed on a master plan for the Museum Island which is still in effect today with airbus order so yes surely thats also been my clothes we could construct the noice more sam Border Museum an ultra not so nagasaki according to schedule without stretching our budget on. The newest museum is the heart of this big scale renovation project during the 2nd world war it had been damaged and parts of it were destroyed architects David Chipperfield reconstructed the museum its showpieces the socalled nubian room decorated with romantic. Architect to the pression king in the mid 19th century. Man would show this room to every person he was hoping to win over the support. Because its a beautiful room the proportions are good natured greece is here oracle terra cotta the great philosophers. God its also a mysterious room a magical place august. When theres a magnet and i was a little shameless and using this magic to rally support for the Museum Island concept or financially to. Support. Who was head of berlins public museums was always that name and signed the to Work Together for a decade to implement them master plan. He was brilliant strategically he was relentless and would never tire of taking members of parliament to the Museum Island to show them around for them what hes great at motivating others hes truly what you might call a cultural diplomat and hes a genius when it comes to committees. Women would enter a