Dr. Seemann was an Ambassador with a great love for Indonesia. He witnessed a crucial period for the country when the Suharto regime crumbled and the new era of democracy started. As often in history, signs for change were not recognised by leaders beforehand.

Dr. Seemann started with a comparison when he described the historic hours of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The GDR German Democratic Republic leaders did not understand the signs either. During a visit to Poland, German Chancellor Kohl, accompanied by Dr. Seemann, learnt on that historic Friday in November 1989 that the wall was no more.

This was a result of pressure by the people and probably a misunderstanding by the leaders of the GDR in charge. In May 1998 Dr. Seemann stood on the roof of the German Embassy in Jakarta and saw all the fires rising up simultaneously in North, West and East Jakarta. Whoever masterminded this will never be revealed nor brought to justice. It could not have been an accident. Indonesia was on the brink of civil war. On May 21 Suharto stepped down. Vice President Habibie was appointed to become the new President of Indonesia. Germany and President Habibie had much in common. Rather than being a "red" revolutionary, Habibie was a "white" revolutionary building the new nation just as an engineer builds a complex machine. Dr. Seemann acknowledged his own role in changing the nation and the ruling bureaucracy.

Germany played an active role in establishing important institution such as the constitutional court. It also supported the development of democratic procedures such as free elections and laid the ground work for the presidents to come. Several years later Indonesians democratically elected their president and today a multi-party system is the foundation of Indonesia’s parliamentary democracy. Dr. Seemann was able to catch the attention of all the over 40 participants of the SGU Forum making this evening a worthwhile lesson in history presented by a witness of the birth of democracy in Indonesia.

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