News from Berlin

News from Berlin - From April 25^th until June 1^st, the Willy-Brandt-Haus will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the ‘Revolução dos Cravos’ with a photography exhibition by Michael Ruetz.

Portugal, a country that was once a colonial empire, was in ruins; the colonies, that had once enriched the country, were now causing more problems than benefits. For instance, Angola was facing a civil war. Therefore, Portugal was becoming the country with the highest rate for emigration, child mortality and illiteracy in Europe.

On the 25^th of April of 1974, the so-called ‘Revolução dos Cravos’ (Carnation Revolution) took place in Portugal. The Armed Forces Movement (MFA), composed by military officers who opposed the regime, organized this revolution and smoothly made the transition from a totalitarianism regime to democracy while removing Portugal and their troops from the colonies. Consequently, the country faced a series of social, economic, demographic and political changes.

The name ‘Carnation Revolution’ comes from the fact that no shots were fired. When the population went to the streets of Portugal to celebrate the end of the dictatorship and the end of the war in the colonies, carnation flowers were put into the muzzles of the rifles and on the uniforms of the military.

This event will take place in Freundeskreis Willy-Brandt-Haus at Stresemannstraße 28, Berlin. The inauguration will start on the 24^th of Aprill at 18:45. It will include speeches from the Ambassador of Portugal in Berlin, Luís de Almeida Sampaio, as well as other guests including Klaus Wetting and Michael Ruetz, the photographer. For the more curious souls, a movie will be presented at 21:00. The exhibition will be open from Tuesday to Sunday from 12:00 until 18:00. News from Berlin – Berlin Global