Ten years after the end of the Second World War, Europe was still undergoing reconstruction - both politically and militarily. The attempt to create a common defense involving Germany with the European Defense Community (EDC) had failed. But in September 1954, the London Nine-Power Conference found a groundbreaking solution: the Federal Republic of Germany was to join NATO and the Western European Union (WEU). In return, Germany undertook not to develop or produce any nuclear, biological or chemical weapons.

These agreements were set out in the Paris Treaties. With their entry into force on May 5, 1955, the young Federal Republic of Germany gained extensive sovereignty - albeit with the continued existence of Allied reservation rights with regard to Berlin and Germany as a whole.

The GSP Bonn, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF), the Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies (CASSIS) at the University of Bonn, the Association of Reservists of the German Armed Forces (VdRBw) and the Clausewitz Society welcome you to a joint event on this important day.

The lecture will be held in the Festsaal of the University of Bonn. For all those who cannot attend in person, we offer the opportunity to participate via Zoom.

Prof. Dr. Friedrich Kießling, holder of the Chair of Modern and Contemporary History at the University of Bonn, will give an exciting lecture.

Afterwards, we invite you to a small reception where you will have the opportunity to exchange ideas.