Pressemitteilung

Pressemitteilung Details:

  • 12.11.2015 - 10:41 GMT

Woman of Europe 2016: Award goes to Adriana Lettrari

Berlin, Nov 11 2015 – Born in the GDR, raised in Europe: What role does the partition of the European continent play in our minds today? This question bothers “Wendekind” („turnaround child“ – an expression for kids growing up during the changeover period around German unification) Adriana Lettrari since 2011. Together with the network 3rd Generation East Germany, she explores the experience of the German turnaround as a chance and considers the differing socialization in East and West consciously within the European context. For her civic engagement, Lettrari is now awarded with the “Germany’s Women of Europe Award 2016”, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Foto: privat

Foto: privat

Born 1979 in Neustrelitz and grown up in Rostock, she experienced the German partition and the split of the European continent through the Iron Curtain in her childhood. She spent the imprinting years of her youth in unified Germany and had therefore a “double socialization” – similar to all today’s 30-40 year-old “Wendekinder” as well as their Eastern European contemporaries. The 3rd Generation East Germany network aims to create a platform for dialogue. In the recently published Memorandum “We just start”(”Wir fangen einfach an”) the “Generation German Unity” of the timeframe 1975 up to 1985 (now being expanded to Western German and migrant children) calls for a more pluralistic approach to find a solution for the current questions on Europe’s future.

The date – 9th of November – could not have been more symbolic for Adriana Lettrari for finding out the Jury’s decision of choosing her out of eleven contestants: “The News reached me on the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and represents a great honour for me. I am really happy about the appreciation for my engagement for a new pluralistic self-view of the 30 to 40 year olds in Europe. They are the future decision-takers and therefore their values are of high importance.”

The Award is symbolic – a handmade brooch in blue in the Europe colours blue and gold. The network of awarded women brings together Europeans who are active on a civic level. “With the Award we try to draw attention to women and their projects who otherwise are not that present in the public awareness”, says Professor Gudrun Schmidt-Kärner, president of the “Women of the Year Award” who also held the title in 1999. Until September 30 the 249 member organisations of the European Movement Germany (EMG) were asked to turn in their proposals. On November 8 the jury which consists of former award-holders and board members of the EMG came together to elect a successor for the present award-holder Linn Selle. The celebration for the 25th anniversary of the “Women of Europe Award” will take place in spring 2016.

With the “Women of Europe Award – Germany” the European Movement Germany honours women who engage in courageous, creative or obstinately ways on a civic society level and who in a special manner pave the way for a strong consolidation of a unified Europe.

Further information:

Media contact: presse@netzwerk-ebd.de

Kathrin Finke: T +49 (0)30 30 36 201-16 | Mareen Hirschnitz: T +49 (0) 30 30 36 201-13 | presse@netzwerk-ebd.de
photo material for print available upon request

European Movement Germany with its 249 member organisations from economy, politics and civil society is Germany’s biggest network for European politics. Founded in 1949. EM Germany is a member of European Movement International.