"The German-Polish Neighbourhood Treaty of 1991 and the re-establishment of the European University Viadrina a few weeks later represent a shared vision: to permanently strengthen German-Polish dialogue in a united Europe and to work together across borders."
Statement by the President of the European University Viadrina
The German-Polish Neighbourhood Treaty of 17 June 1991 laid a historic foundation for cooperation between Germany and Poland. Just a few weeks later, on 15 July 1991, the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) was re-established. This close timing is symbolic of the political and social awakening that opened up new perspectives for German-Polish relations after the end of the Cold War.
From the outset, the idea of a university on the German-Polish border was closely linked to the spirit of this treaty. As the founding senate stated in its memorandum on the re-establishment of the Viadrina, the 'unique opportunity' should be used 'to build a university on the border between Poland and Germany in a distinctive way, based on German-Polish university cooperation and with an international orientation'.
With the subsequent founding of the Collegium Polonicum in Słubice, this idea was put into practice: as a shared academic space where students, researchers and teachers from both countries come together and work with each other.
For more than three decades, the Viadrina has thus stood for European cooperation in everyday life. This is also reflected in the cooperation in ERUA and here at DOING DEMOCRACY with SWPS, as well as in the long-standing fruitful partnership with Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. Today more than ever, the importance of such spaces of exchange and mutual understanding are becoming evident. The European University Viadrina therefore sees the Neighbourhood Treaty not only as a historical reference point, but also as a mandate to continue to actively shape the important issues of the present and future in German-Polish dialogue – in research, teaching and social exchange across borders.