On Friday, 28 February 2020, The German-Southeast Asian Center of Excellence for Public Policy and Good Governance (CPG), and the Asian Governance Foundation (AGF) will present a special seminar, 1919/1920 – A Watershed for European Constitutionalism.

The event will take place from 1:30pm to 6:45pm in the Thammasat University Faculty of Law, Jitti Tingsabadh Room, Tha Prachan campus. Students and others in the TU community who wish to attend are welcome to register at this link.

The Thammasat University Library owns several books about European constitutionalism.

As the CPG website explains, the background of the seminar is as follows:

• 1919/1920 was not only the time of the treaty of Versailles, formally ending the First World War five years after the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, but it was also a special moment for European constitutionalism. 100 years ago, seven European constitutions were adopted in Poland, the Weimar Republic, the Irish Republic, Finland, Estonia, Austria and Czechoslovakia, which evolved into today’s Czech Republic and Slovakia in 1993.
• The CPG special seminar on this special period of constitutionalism will reflect upon theses constitutions, their history and how they were and are perceived then and now. The Weimar constitution in particular is of great interest of course, not least because while it was deeply democratic in some areas, such as a relatively early adoption of universal suffrage, it was also deeply flawed in others leading a very fragmented parliament and eventually to the rise of Adolf Hitler who seized the opportunity provided by the constitution’s article 48 enabling him to rule by decree in cases of emergencies (Notverordnung). The presentations will look at this in more depths, as well as shed light on the other constitutions of 1919 and 1920.
• In addition to the focus on the constitutions, the seminar provides room to discuss political and social factors of the time and how the European nation’s political identities were influenced, for instance in reaction to the world economic crisis of the late 1920s and early 30s. While some political systems remained parliamentarian, others turned decidedly autocratic.

Among the distinguished speakers about The Constitutions of 1919/1920 will be H.E. Georg Schmidt, Ambassador of Germany to Thailand.

During an interview in May 2019, Ambassador Schmidt stated:

Thailand has achieved so much since my first visit as a tourist in the 80s. The country has changed so much. The development is very impressive. Yet the distribution of wealth in the country is far from even. This would create tensions in any society. Negotiating compromises and addressing the needs of the people is a complex issue requiring open discussions. My impression is that Thai people want their voices to be heard. In addition, the internet has changed things. It is much easier to get information – but it might be more difficult to assess facts from fiction… Thailand and Germany both have a strong manufacturing base. We like to produce things. Therefore, it will be very important to adapt to a much more energy efficient and ecologically sound sustainable production and the challenges of digitalisation and what we call in German “Industrie 4.0”. This is one focus of our Embassy.

If I look back to the history of our countries, there has been a mutual fascination. Reading the accounts of visitors in Germany and Thailand in the 19th Century it is easy to sense the curiosity, respect and admiration. That applies as much for the similarities as for the differences. Maybe people go to another country to find what they are missing at their home. Oh and both Thais and Germans have a love for the beautiful game – football!

Ambassador Schmidt added that among his goals in the Kingdom was to

continue and strengthen our contacts in the field of vocational education and training. Germany has a lot to offer in this field and we are very ready to share our experiences with our hosts in Thailand. There is one other very important area of cooperation: All aspects of environmental protection and sustainability. I think it is becoming very clear, how damaging climate change is. So we do need to drastically increase our efforts for a more sustainable way of life. Renewable energy, electric mobility and energy efficient production are just a few examples. Germany is a world leader in technology. But it is not the technology alone, it is the government standards and the consumption patterns of every individual that matter. I hope we can make a difference in this field. Climate change is the real threat to the wellbeing and survival not just of mankind, but so many other species on our wonderful planet. Climate change cannot be fought with tanks and guns.

Also speaking on 28 February will be H.E. Satu Suikkari-Kleven Ambassador of the Republic of Finland to Thailand and H.E. Eva Hager, Ambassador of Austria to Thailand

Further presentations of interest

Among other noteworthy participants at the seminar will be Professor Pornsan Watanangura, Ph.D., of the German Section, Department of Western Languages, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University. The TU Library owns a number of books by Ajarn Pornsarn.

These include such titles as On the Reception of Buddhism in German Philosophy and Literature: An Intercultural Dialogue and Reflexions on 500 Years of the Thai-Portuguese Relations as well as The Visit of King Chulalongkorn to Europe in 1907: Reflecting on Siamese History.

Also speaking will be Dr. Natanaree Posrithong of the Social Science Division, Mahidol University International College.  

Dr. Natanaree is a specialist in the history of diseases and medicine, the colonial impact on Southeast Asia, and the history of education. The TU Library owns a research study with a chapter, Thailand’s Early Adult Education in Textbooks: Inclusion, Exclusion and Literacy, 1940-1944, by Dr. Natanaree included in Southeast Asian Education in Modern History: Schools, Manipulation, and Contest edited by Pia Maria Jolliffe and Thomas Richard Bruce.

Ajarn Barbara Ekamp of the Humanities and Language Division, Mahidol University International College  will also be present. Ajarn Barbara’s areas of research interest include the history of philosophy/ postmodern philosophy, Eastern and Western literature, and history of East Asia

The TU Library owns a book coauthored by Ajarn Barbara, Image of Germany in German Textbooks for the Elementary Level.

(All images created in 1919 and 1920 courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)