Navigation and service

Arraiolos meeting

Topic: Report

22 September 2015

Federal President Joachim Gauck hosted this year’s Arraiolos Group meeting from 21 to 22 September. Ten European Heads of State were his guests for two days at the medieval Wartburg Castle and in Erfurt – two places that played a key role in the Reformation, and are thus of central importance to the intellectual heritage of both Germany and Europe. The group of non-executive EU Heads of State has met once a year for informal discussions since 2003.

Federal President Joachim Gauck during his speech on the occasion of the Arraiolos Group meeting at the Wartburg

Federal President Joachim Gauck hosted this year’s Arraiolos Group meeting from 21 to 22 September. Ten European Heads of State were his guests for two days at the medieval Wartburg Castle and in Erfurt – two places that played a key role in the Reformation, and are thus of central importance to the intellectual heritage of both Germany and Europe.

The opening session held in the Castle. Ecclesiastical historian Thomas Kaufmann gave an introductory lecture on the Reformation and its significance today, after which the Heads of State addressed the issue of European cohesion. The keynote speech for this working session delivered by Hermann Parzinger, the President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation. In the evening, the Federal President hosted a dinner for the Heads of State and their delegations in the Wappensaal (“Coat of Arms Hall”), now part of the Wartburg Castle hotel.

The second day started with a working session on education and participation in Erfurt Town Hall. A lecture by educational expert Marcus Hasselhorn provided the lead-in to the discussion. A press conference followed the session. This took place in the assembly hall of the Protestant high school in Erfurt (Evangelisches Ratsgymnasium). The meeting concluded with a luncheon for the Heads of State in the Collegium Maius.

The group of non-executive EU Heads of State has met once a year for informal discussions since 2003. It is named after the Portuguese town of its inception. This year President Gauck will be joined by the Heads of State of Austria, Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Portugal and Slovenia.

Overview of the programme:

Monday, 21 September 2015

  • Erfurt airport
    Arrival of the Federal President and Ms Daniela Schadt; welcome by Bodo Ramelow, Premier of the Free State of Thuringia, and Ms Germana Alberti vom Hofe
  • Wartburg
    Family photo of the Heads of State
  • Wartburg
    Welcome and opening address by President Gauck
  • Wartburg
    Working session on cohesion in Europe

Tuesday, 22 September 2015

  • Erfurt Town Hall
    Welcome for the visiting Heads of State by President Gauck
  • Erfurt Town Hall
    Working session on education and participation
  • Evangelisches Ratsgymnasium Erfurt
    Press conference

Further information

News