The San Francisco Warburg Chapter will host a discussion and reception with Tobias David, Chief of Staff to the Lord Mayor of Leipzig on “Remembering the Fall of the Berlin Wall: From German Unity to a New Beginning.”
Tobias David, born in 1973, grew up in Leipzig (former GDR/East Germany) and spent most of his school years under the conditions of the GDR dictatorship. Even as a teenager he was involved in opposition groups under the protection of the Catholic Church and became politically active early on. The Peaceful Revolution of 1989, driven by the peace and civil rights movement, had a lasting impact on his life.
After studying political science and communication, he worked for many years as managing director of a communications agency. In 2004 he moved to the Saxon State Parliament as advisor to the Vice-President. Since 2008, he has been the closest strategic advisor to the Mayor of the City of Leipzig. The Peaceful Revolution of 1989 – which ultimately led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany – began in Leipzig. Today Leipzig is not only one of the largest cities in Germany but also the fastest growing German city.
This event is being held under the auspices of Deutschlandjahr USA 2018/2019 – the Year of German-American Friendship, a comprehensive and collaborative initiative funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, implemented by the Goethe-Institut, and with support from the Federation of German Industries (BDI). For more information on the initiative and the more than 1,000 projects that will take place between October 2018 and November 2019, visit www.wunderbartogether.org.