Wüst's peace-prize address Diplomacy, defence and trust

Oct 24, 1648

Frohloff opens the 2026 Peace of Westphalia ceremony and introduces NRW Minister-President Hendrik Wüst. In his complete opening address, Wüst recalls the 1648 settlement and argues that lasting peace requires diplomatic perseverance, military strength and trust. He rejects compromise that rewards violent border changes, praises NATO's collective defence and Germany's contribution, cites the Lithuanian brigade and Merz's 5% commitment, and acknowledges unequal allied burdens. He presents socioMovens' cross-border social projects as a source of trust and solidarity. He warns that Russia's war and populists and extremists threaten Europe's values, urges democrats to resist division, and closes by invoking the peace settlement's legal legacy. These are his historical interpretations and political arguments.

The peace agreements negotiated at Münster and Osnabrück end the Thirty Years' War in 1648. In substantial retrospectives, Wüst stresses sovereign equality, territorial integrity and law; Merz recalls five years of negotiations and 150 envoys and interprets the result as protection for small and middle powers and a precursor to the modern security order. Czerny emphasizes dialogue and reconciliation, and Zinkann rules that allow opponents to coexist despite differences. These modern interpretations remain attributed. The working track renders Czerny's year as 1668; the other addresses and the verified treaty chronology establish 1648.