Clarence. During a summit of great Europeanleaders in the city of Aachen (Germany) the director of the Museum ofEuropean Art in Clarence, B. John Zavrel met Queen Beatrix of theNetherlands. Zavrel was invited to this event because of his longtransatlantic engagement for art and culture.
Queen Beatrix (58) received the "Karlspreis" award(Charlemagne Award) for her work toward European unity and theEuropean Union. To the previous recipients of the award also belongedKonrad Adenauer, the first Chancellor of West Germany after 1945 anda great friend and supporter of Israel and the United States. Theceremony took place in the historical Coronation Hall of the cityhall of Aachen, where the Emperor Charlemagne had used to hold hiscourt.
German President Roman Herzog pointed out thedetermined and untiring support of the monarch for Europeanunification. All citizens of the European Union are encouraged toenlarge this "island of stability" and to make it stronger. Zavreltalked to the Queen about the good European-American relations andthe need to enlarge the European Union to include the youngdemocracies of Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary. He also discussedwith the Czech President Vaclav Havel his plans to arrange an artexhibition of European artists in the United States. Zavrel isHonorary Consul of the Czech Republic in Buffalo and Western NewYork.
The ceremony in the city hall was also attended bythe President of the German Parliament Rita Süssmuth and theprevious recipients of the award, among them the Austrian ChancellorFranz Vranitzky and the Czech President Vaclav Havel. Herzog said:"The prosperity and the social stability in which our societies livewould not have been possible without this unique period of peace inthe European history". What is now most important is the peacefulcoexistence of the people.
"For us is has become a matter of course that theepoch of victors and losers must be finally over. Not only on thebattlefield, but also at the negotiating table," explained thePresident. The European unification process requires quite differentqualities, above all reconciliation and foresight. The award to the58-year old Queen belongs also to the people of the Netherlands. "Thequality which has elevated the people of the Netherlands in theireventful history to great heigths is their love of freedom", praisedHerzog. "The Netherlands have been and are a land offreedom".
The Karlspreis has been awarded annually since1950 for merits toward European unification. It consists of a bronzemedal and a monetary award. To the 38 award recipients belong GermanChancellor Konrad Adenauer, the British Prime Minister WinstonChurchill, the French President Francois Mitterrand and the GermanChancellor Helmut Kohl.
May, 1996
Copyright 1999 Museum of European Art