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Humboldt Foundation’s President Hans-Christian Pape supports open letter to the British people
The signatories of an open letter that was published today in the British newspaper The Times include Hans-Christian Pape, President of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The letter is addressed to the British people and expresses high regard for the country as a part of Europe. Written in English, the letter notes at one point: “Because we realise that the freedom we enjoy as Europeans today has in many ways been built and defended by the British people, we want Britons to know that we respect their choice. It is theirs, not ours. And should Britain wish to leave the European Union for good, it will always have friends in Germany and Europe. But Britons should equally know that we believe that no choice is irreversible. Our door will always remain open: Europe is home.”
The campaign was initiated by the members of the German Bundestag Norbert Röttgen and Franziska Brantner. At this time, in addition to Hans-Christian Pape, it is being backed by the following persons from the political sector, industry, science and academia, the cultural sphere and sport:
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU), Andrea Nahles (SPD), Annalena Baerbock und Robert Habeck (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), Norbert Röttgen (CDU), Franziska Brantner (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), Achim Post (SPD), Cem Özdemir (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), Reiner Hoffmann (DGB), Frank Bsirske (Verdi), Dieter Kempf (BDI), Ingo Kramer (BDA), Eric Schweitzer (DIHK), Hans Peter Wollseifer (ZDH), Dieter Zetsche (Daimler AG), Thomas Enders (Airbus), Heinrich Bedford-Strohm (EKD), Dieter Schwarz (Lidl), Margret Wintermantel (DAAD), Hans-Christian Pape (Humboldt Foundation), Klaus-Dieter Lehmann (Goethe Institute), Hans-Henning Horstmann (Deutsch-Britische Gesellschaft), Norbert Lammert (KAS), Ellen Überschär (HBS), Karl-Heinz Paqué (FNF), Aart de Geus (Bertelsmann Foundation), Kurt Beck (FES), Campino (singer), Igor Levit (pianist), Carolin Emcke (author), Florian Hoffmann (Berlin DO-School), Jens Lehmann (former German national goalkeeper).
The campaign is being flanked in social media by #wewantyoutostay.