75 Years Canada-Germany Diplomatic Relations: Symposium

Presented by CIPS, the Embassy of Germany in Canada, Global Affairs Canada and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)

This year, Canada and Germany celebrate the 75-year anniversary of their mutual diplomatic relations. What started in 1951 with the exchange of ambassadors between Ottawa and Bonn, the capital of West Germany at the time, was initially a partnership among unequals: Germany, the divided country after its absolute defeat in the Second World War, and its immense charge for the horrendous crimes of the National Socialists, was looking for reintegration into the international community – the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG, West Germany) towards its Western partners under leadership of the United States of America, the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) towards its Eastern allies under leadership of the Soviet Union. Canada, while being part of the winning allies in both world wars, just started to convey an own, i. e. increasingly independent foreign policy. The creation of its largest military base abroad in the Southern German cities of Lahr and Baden-Baden/Söllingen became an important part of it.

Ever since, diplomatic relations have constantly improved, leading to a highly trusted partnership between both nations that find their expression in a multitude of contacts and exchanges, initiated and promoted by the Canada-Germany cultural agreement 1975. The changing geostrategic conditions with shifting power relations and strained relations to its closest ally, the USA, Canada has moved tangibly closer to the European Union in the areas of security, digital cooperation, energy resilience, and the support for Ukraine. In these relations, not only Brussels plays a major role, but also Germany as the EU’s largest member state and economic powerhouse.

Join us for a 2-day symposium:

On June 5-6, 2026, scholars and practitioners will come to uOttawa for a symposium “75 years Canada-Germany diplomatic relations”. While diplomats on both sides tirelessly emphasize the deep-rooted partnership, increased collaboration also provokes critique, especially in the area of energy and security cooperation. First Nations have expressed their rejection of plans to expand infrastructure across the country, such as newly built pipelines through indigenous territories or fossil energy loading terminals in ecologically sensitive seawaters such as the Hudson Bay. Procurement experts question that boasted budgets for increased defense purchases can hardly been processed, and that aspired projects such as joining the German-Norwegian-Danish submarine consortium of Thyssen-Krupp Maritime Systems (TKMS) will come too late given the high need of quickly upgrading Canada’s naval forces. Finally in Germany, the rise of right extreme AfD (Alternative für Deutschland) has put the government and a number of its core policies under increasing pressure, and it remains unclear how a growing involvement of this party would affect Germany’s future foreign relations, including with Canada.

Programme

Fr, June 5^th, 2026 (Day 1):

9:00am    Registration; refreshments

9:30am    Opening words 

·           Prof. Derrick Gibbings, University of Ottawa, Associate Vice-President, Research Support and Infrastructure at the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation) –– incl. Indigenous affirmation ––

·           Hon. Dr. Robert Oliphant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

·           H. E. Tjorven Bellmann, Ambassador of Germany to Canada

·           John Paul Kleiner, DAAD Canada Representative

10:00am  Opening lecture “75 years of Canada-Germany diplomatic relations: a historical overview”

·           Dr. Brendan Kelly, Head of the Historical Section and Deputy Director of the Open Insights Hub, Global Affairs Canada

·           Moderator: Dr. Jan Claudius Völkel, DAAD Seconded Professor, UOttawa

Section A: “Yesterday”

10:30am  Panel I | History of Canada-Germany relations

·           Prof. Alexander Freund, Chair in German-Canadian Studies, U Winnipeg

·           Prof. Manuel Meune, Professeur titulaire, Université de Montréal

·           Moderator: Habib Massoud, Global Affairs Canada (retired)

11:30am  Refreshments

11:45am  Roundtable I | Canada’s contribution to German unification (1989/1990)

·           Walter Davidson, Science Attaché, Canadian Embassy Bonn (1990-1995)

·           Rafael Solís, Germanist & certified translator, Ottawa

·           Lillian Thomsen, Canadian diplomat (posted in Warsaw, Moscow and Leningrad during the 1980s)

·           Dieter E. Tietz, Counsellor, GDR Embassy Ottawa (1988-1990)

·           Moderator: Prof. Manuel Meune, Professeur titulaire, Université de Montréal

12:45pm  Family picture

1:00pm    Lunch

1:45pm    Roundtable II | The Canadian Forces in Germany

·           Dr. Isabel Campbell, historian, Directorate of History and Heritage, National Defence Headquarters

·           Bgén (Ret’d) Charles Émond, Base Commander Lahr 1986-1989

·           LCol (Ret’d) Jeremy Mansfield, veteran in Lahr

·           Moderator: Dr. Jeff Noakes, historian, Canadian War Museum

Section B: “Today”

2:45pm    Panel II | Focus “People”: (De-)Radicalization in Canada and Germany

·           Dr. David Y. Clement, Senior Research Advisor Public Safety, Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence

·           Prof. Jennifer Evans, Professor, Carleton University

·           Dr. Marcus Funck, Professor, Technical University Berlin, Center for Antisemitism Studies

3:45pm    Refreshments

4:00pm    Roundtable III: University cooperation between Canada and Germany

·           Larissa Bezo, President, Canadian Bureau for International Education

·           John Paul Kleiner, DAAD Canada Representative, Toronto

·           Dr. Clotilde Ribaut, Senior Advisor, International Research, University of Ottawa

·           Prof. Mark Webber, Professor of German Studies (retired), York University

·           Moderator: Peter Kerrigan, Deputy Director, DAAD North America

5:30pm    End of program