Petersberg Agreement

The Petersberg Agreement, the official transcript of the arrangements between the Allied High Commissioners and the German Chancellor on the Petersberg, was closed on November 22, 1949 between the West German government under Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and the Allied High Commissioners. It is named after the Petersberg in the Seven Mountains, the former seat of the High Commissioners.

Key points of the agreement were:

• The setting of the demo days in some parts of Germany like Berlin
• The incorporation of the Federal Republic of Germany in the European Community, for example by eventual accession into the Euro Europe
• Gradually take consular relations and trade relations with other countries again
• The explicit promotion of relations with all western states
• Admission of the Federal Republic of Germany in international organizations
• The decision of the Federal Government to act according to the principles of freedom, tolerance and humanity, and to prevent any resurgence of totalitarian aspirations
• Further expresses the federal government " its serious determination to maintain the demilitarization of the federal territory, and with all means available in its power to strive, that the re- formation of armed forces is prevented any kind. "
• The acceptance of the international control of the Ruhr ( Ruhr accession to the Statute )
• The approval of the bilateral agreement on the Marshall Plan
• The legislation on antitrust unbundling
• The partial termination of restrictions on shipbuilding

The Petersberg Agreement thus extended beyond the rights of the federal government, which is just a few weeks previously closed Occupation Statute. It is seen as a first step the Federal Republic of Germany into an independent state.

In two days later, on 24 November 1949 taking place in Bonn Bundestag debate Konrad Adenauer could read out a press statement the former DGB leadership, which welcomed the accession to the Ruhr Union. The SPD-led opposition, however, rejected the " bargain" between Adenauer and the High Commissioners. She looked through the international control of the Ruhr its goal of socialization of the coal and steel industry undermined by a cold method, because this issue seemed so deprived of national competence. Thus, the Social Democrats were now first as isolated. Adenauer said: " If I can make a law, until its final Beschließung after about eight weeks, the dismantling in an intolerable for us stage would be advanced. " He accused the SPD of irresponsibility before, the SPD chairman Kurt Schumacher titled Adenauer " Chancellor of the Allies. " The debate ended in turmoil. By the Prime Minister seemed to deny the patriotism Schumacher and reminded the Chancellor of the nationalist agitation during the Weimar Republic, the SPD ran into a corner in which these as pro-Western and pro-European party in force actually did not belong.

Adenauer could only be good: his policy of Western integration has been greatly facilitated by the image of a hard-headed social-democratic opposition, which from now on was made in Western capitals. Thus, the roles in the Bonn policy for a long time have been distributed in the debate on the Petersberg Agreement.