Esselamu Aleykum ve Rahmetullah ve Berekatuhu. At the Royal Ottoman Headquarters in Ludwigshafen we welcomed Princess Dr. Theophana of Saxony, Volker Schapke, honorary president of the Prussian Society, and a circle of friends eager to explore the deep ties between our peoples.
Since 2010 Ayberk Efendi has met regularly with members of the Prussian community in Berlin at the Hilton Hotel. Together they have worked to rebuild the cultural bridge that once linked the Ottoman and Prussian courts. Their collaboration grew into a series of events, most notably the gala of 2014 inside Charlottenburg Palace, a venue that had never before hosted such a gathering. The evening celebrated the friendship of Kaiser Wilhelm II and Sultan Abdülhamid II, bringing together European princes, Turkish dignitaries and scholars to honour a shared legacy.
The story is far older than any recent ceremony. In 1701, during the reign of Sultan Mustafa II, two Ottoman envoys were sent to offer congratulations when Frederick I was crowned King of Prussia. That exchange marked the beginning of a friendship that has now lasted more than three centuries: 323 years without a single bullet fired between our nations.
After the collapse of the empires in 1918, however, history was rewritten, and the mutual respect built through trade, art, cuisine and scholarship largely disappeared from school curricula. This silence allowed misunderstandings to grow, turning what should be remembered as a partnership into a story dominated by conflict.
Ayberk Efendi reminded us that history is richer than its wars. Ottoman-Prussian relations were marked by lively trade, cultural dialogue and mutual assistance. Reviving these memories is not an academic exercise but a call to rebuild the bridges of goodwill that once connected our peoples. By bringing together scholars, princes, princesses and ordinary citizens alike, the Society hopes this renewed friendship will endure for generations.
We are grateful to all who travelled from afar to join us in this effort. May Allah guide us on this path of reconciliation and lasting brotherhood.
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