Freiheit

For 16 years, Angela Merkel held the responsibility of governing Germany, leading the country through numerous crises and shaping both German and international politics and society with her actions and attitudes. However, Angela Merkel was not born as Chancellor. In her memoirs, co-written with her long-time political advisor Beate Baumann, she reflects on her life in two German states – 35 years in East Germany and 35 years in reunified Germany. More personal than ever before, she shares her experiences of childhood, youth, and her studies in East Germany, as well as the dramatic year of 1989, when the wall fell and her political life began. She invites us into her meetings and conversations with the world's most powerful figures and vividly and precisely illuminates significant national, European, and international turning points, explaining how decisions were made that shape our time. Her book offers a unique insight into the inner workings of power – and is a strong plea for freedom.