The 27th Broadyard Workshop (博雅工作坊), titled “How Germany Struggles to Come to Terms with its Past after WWII: Reconciliation between Germany and its Eastern Neighbors and Sino-Japanese Relations,” was jointly held by the Institute of Area Studies, Peking University (PKUIAS), the German Studies Center of Peking University and the Hanns Seidel Foundation on November 9, 2019.

Vergangenheitsbewältigung ("struggling to come to terms with the past") is a special German word that refers to the process of the German people’s self-reflection after World War II on the war crimes and wholesale slaughter of the Jews committed by the Nazis in their name. The existence of this word points to the fact that facing up to history is a difficult problem and that history will not simply fade away with the passage of time; meanwhile, it also demonstrates the German people’s desire to unload its heavy and haunting historical burden, as well as its hopes for "normalization" and a better future.

However, Germany and Japan, even though they were both members of the Axis Powers, have had different attitudes toward their own history after the war. At least, in the history of post-war Sino-Japanese relations, there has been no event comparable to former German Chancellor Willy Brandt's kneeling down in front of a memorial in the former Jewish ghetto in Warsaw in 1970. In order to explore the reasons behind this discrepancy, it is necessary to integrate the multiple dimensions of ideological history, international relations, geopolitics, and even cultural psychology. However, the Cold War and the division of Germany have further complicated the relationship between Germany and its eastern neighbors. In addition to emphasizing the German–French reconciliation as the pillar of EU integration, attention should also be paid to the post-war reconciliation between Germany and the Eastern European countries, especially Poland and Czechia. As populism and protectionism are becoming increasingly prevalent, it is particularly important to adhere to multilateralism, international cooperation, and regional integration. Despite the challenges faced by the EU, the practice of regional alliances in Europe proves that national reconciliation based on a common historical memory is an indispensable prerequisite for building a community of shared future. Germany's historical practice is worthy of consideration and research by East Asia. Therefore, on the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II in Europe, it is particularly necessary to discuss this complex and profound topic, which both relates to history and affects the future.