United Buddy Bears

[[Image:Buddybear Athen.jpg|thumb|upright|Two Buddy Bears at [[Kurfürstendamm]] 21, Berlin]] [[Image:Buddy Bear - in front of IAI.jpg|thumb|upright|Buddy Bear — [[Ecuador]], 2002]] '''Buddy Bears''' are a series of painted, life-size [[fibreglass]] bear sculptures originally developed in [[Berlin]], Germany. The first Buddy Bear was created by the German businesspeople [[Klaus and Eva Herlitz]], in cooperation with the [[sculptor]] [[Roman Strobl]] in 2001. The two concepts ''Buddy Bear'' and '''United Buddy Bears''' stand for two very different types of activity. The ''Buddy Bears'' are an urban event, comparable to other events with a great diversity of animal sculptures that bring new life into many city centres. The ''United Buddy Bears'', however, are primarily about their message - a message of peace, international understanding and tolerance among the nations, cultures and religions of this world. == Buddy Bears on the streets and squares of Berlin == The first activities were presented as the ''Buddy Bear Berlin Show''. In 2001, artists painted approximately 350 bears to appear in the public domain, as decorative elements in the streets of Berlin. Four different bear designs (one standing on all four paws, one standing on two legs, one standing on its head and one in a sitting position) took part in this activity in the city centre of Berlin. Afterwards, many of the bears were sold at auctions in aid of child relief organisations. Nowadays, these Berlin Buddy Bears are exclusively presented on private premises, in front of hotels and embassies as well as in the foyers of various office buildings. There have already been exhibitions of the original ''Buddy Bears'' — designed by local artists — in the cities of [[Shanghai]] (2004), [[Buenos Aires]] (2005) and [[St. Gallen]] / [[Switzerland]] (2006). ==United Buddy Bears - The Art of Tolerance== [[Image:Buddy Bear Pariser Platz.jpg|thumb|United Buddy Bears, Exhibition Berlin 2003]] [[Image:Buddy Bear Bebelplatz.jpg|thumb|United Buddy Bears, Exhibition Berlin 2006]] [[Image:The Golden Buddy Bears in Vienna.jpg|thumb|United Buddy Bears, Exhibition Vienna 2006]] [[Image:United Buddy Bears am Nil, Kairo.JPG|thumb|United Buddy Bears, Exhibition Cairo 2007]] [[Image:United Buddy Bears on Safra Square.jpg|thumb|United Buddy Bears, Exhibition Jerusalem 2007]] [[Image:United Buddy Bear in Buenos.jpg|thumb|United Buddy Bears, Exhibition Buenos Aires 2009]] [[Image:Astana 2010.jpg|thumb|United Buddy Bears, Exhibition Astana (Kazakhstan) 2010]] [[Image:2010_Helsinki_Senatsplatz.jpg|thumb|United Buddy Bears, Exhibition Helsinki 2010, Senate Square]] [[Image:Sofia 2011 Sveta Nedelya.JPG|thumb|United Buddy Bears, Exhibition Sofia 2011, Square St Nedelya]] The '''United Buddy Bears''' are an international art exhibition with more than 140 two metre tall fibreglass bears. Under the motto: ''We have to get to know each other better, it makes us understand one another better, trust each other more, and live together more peacefully'' more than 140 countries acknowledged by the [[United Nations]] are represented, promoting tolerance, international understanding and the great concept of different nations and cultures living in peace and harmony. The bears stand ''hand in hand'' in a peaceful circle. One important prerequisite for this international unifying project is to choose artists from the individual countries — for the circle to reflect the diversity of the cultures of ''one world''. The observer learns about the culture, the history, the people and the landscape of the individual countries — large or small. Hence the United Buddy Bears circle has become a platform for even the smallest and poorest countries which frequently remain unnoticed. Suddenly, they are equal to larger and often rich nations. The bears were on display between June and November 2002, in a circle around the [[Brandenburg Gate]]. Around 1.5 million people visited this first exhibition. ===United Buddy Bears - Worldtour=== On 6 November 2002, the bears were moved to new locations, including their respective countries [[Embassy|embassies]] in Berlin, or back to country that they were based on. Some of the bears were auctioned off to raise money for [[UNICEF]]. After the circle of "United Buddy Bears" had been such an overwhelming success in 2002, a new circle was created in 2003. The idea was to send the circle on a global tour. On their global tour, the "United Buddy Bears" promote peace, love, tolerance and international understanding. The circle changes every time it reaches a new city. This is not only due to the local conditions, but also to their constantly changing order, as the bears are always set up in alphabetic order, following the local language of the host country. This always leads to new and sometimes politically very interesting proximities. Entry to the exhibitions is always free. This makes it possible for many school classes to visit the exhibitions in the morning — as part of their lessons — to explore and learn a lot about the culture, history, landscape, economy and music of all five continents in a playful manner. During past exhibitions more than 25 million visitors have already admired the colourful United Buddy Bears. In every metropolis, the United Buddy Bears exhibitions are supported by the government, the foreign ministries, the mayors and the UNICEF organisations. Heads of state - for example the Japanese [[Prime Minister]], [[Junichiro Koizumi]], the German [[President of Germany|Federal President]], [[Horst Köhler]] and First Lady of Egypt, [[Suzanne Mubarak]] as well as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors such as Sir [[Peter Ustinov]], [[Jackie Chan]], [[Christiane Hörbiger]], [[Mia Farrow]], [[Iris Berben]] and [[Ken Done]] have opened these exhibitions all over the world. ''United Buddy Bears Special Ambassador'' is the actress [[Dennenesch Zoudé]]. The bears have been displayed at the following Stations since the beginning of the tour: {|class= "wikitable" |- ! Year || City / Country / Site of exhibition || Patron of the exhibition / Opening by |- | '''2002'''
June - November || [[Berlin]] / {{GER}}, Right next to the [[Brandenburg Gate]] - [[Pariser Platz]] || [[Joschka Fischer]], [[Minister for Foreign Affairs (Germany)|Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs]]
[[Klaus Wowereit]], [[Governing Mayor of Berlin|Berlin’s Governing Mayor]] |- | '''2003'''
July - November || Berlin / {{GER}}, Right next to the Brandenburg Gate - Pariser Platz || [[Peter Ustinov|Sir Peter Ustinov]], Actor and [[List of UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors#International ambassadors|UNICEF World Ambassador]] |- | '''2004'''
January - February || [[Kitzbühel]] / {{AUT}} || [[Benita Ferrero-Waldner]], Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Horst Wendling, Mayor of Kitzbühel |- | 2004
May - June || [[Hong Kong]] / {{HKG}}, [[Victoria Park, Hong Kong|Victoria Park]] || [[Jackie Chan]], Actor and [[List of UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors|UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador ]]
[[Patrick Ho]], Hong Kong’s Secretary for Home Affairs |- | 2004 / 2005
December - January || [[Istanbul]] / {{TUR}}, Tepebaþý Pera Square, [[Beyoğlu]] || Ahmet Misbah Demircan, Mayor of Beyoğlu
[[:de:Möckelmann|Rainer Möckelmann]], German General Consul in Istanbul |- | '''2005'''
April - May || [[Tokyo]] / {{JPN}}, [[Roppongi Hills]] || [[Junichiro Koizumi]], Prime Minister of Japan
[[Horst Köhler]], President of the Federal Republic of Germany |- | 2005
October - November || [[Seoul]] / {{KOR}} - [[Olympic Park, Seoul|Olympic Park]] || Messages of greeting from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Korea, [[Ban Ki-moon]] |- | '''2006'''
March - April || [[Sydney]] / {{AUS}}, [[Sydney Opera House]] – [[Circular Quay]] || [[John Howard]], Prime Minister of Australia
[[Ken Done]], Artist and UNICEF Ambassador |- | 2006
June - July || Berlin / {{GER}}, [[Bebelplatz]] || [[Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul]], [[Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development|German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development]]
[[:de:Karin Schubert (Politikerin)|Karin Schubert]], Mayor of Berlin
[[Mia Farrow]], American actress and [[List of UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors|UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador]] |- | 2006
September - October || [[Vienna]] / {{AUT}}, [[Karlsplatz]] || [[:de:Grete Laska|Grete Laska]], Deputy Mayor of Vienna
[[:de:Karin Schubert (Politikerin)|Karin Schubert]], Mayor of Berlin
[[Christiane Hörbiger]], Film actress and UNICEF Ambassador |- | '''2007'''
April - May || [[Cairo]] / {{EGY}}, [[Gezira Island|Gezira Promenade]] [[Zamalek]] || [[Suzanne Mubarak]], First Lady of Egypt
[[Hans-Dietrich Genscher]], former German Foreign Minister
[[Abdel Azim Wazir]], [[Cairo Governorate|Governor of Cairo]] |- | 2007
August - September || [[Jerusalem]] / {{ISR}}, [[Safra Square]] || [[Tzipi Livni]], Minister of Foreign Affairs, Israel
[[Yigal Amedi]], Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem
[[Iris Berben]], German actress and winners of the [[Women's World Award]] 2004 |- | '''2008'''
May - June || [[Warsaw]] / {{POL}}, [[Castle Square, Warsaw|Castle Square]] || [[Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz]], Mayor of the City of Warsaw
[[Klaus Wowereit]], Governing Mayor of Berlin
[[Anne Hidalgo]], First Deputy Mayor of [[Paris]] |- | 2008
July -August || [[Stuttgart]] / {{GER}}, [[Schlossplatz, Stuttgart|Schlossplatz]] || [[Wolfgang Schuster]], Lord Mayor of Stuttgart |- | 2008
October || [[Pyongyang]] / {{PRK}}, [[Moran Hill|Moran Hill Youth Park]], close to the [[Immortal Statue of Kim Il-sung|Kim-Il-Sung statue]] || Mun Jae Chol, Foreign Affairs of North-Korea
[[:de:Thomas Schäfer (Diplomat)|Thomas Schäfer]], German Ambassador in North Korea |- | '''2009'''
March - April || [[Buenos Aires]] / {{ARG}}, [[Plaza San Martín (Buenos Aires)|Plaza San Martin]] || [[Mauricio Macri]], Mayor of Buenos Aires
[[Hernán Lombardi]], Minister for Cultural Affairs |- | 2009
May - June || [[Montevideo]] / {{URU}}, [[Plaza Independencia]] || [[Tabaré Vázquez]], President of Uruguay
[[Ricardo Ehrlich]], Mayor of Montevideo
[[:de:Bernhard von Waldersee|Bernhard Graf von Waldersee]], German Ambassador in Uruguay |- | 2009 / 2010
November - April || Berlin / {{GER}}, [[Berlin Hauptbahnhof|Hauptbahnhof]], Indoor || [[Ursula von der Leyen]], [[Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth|Federal Ministry of Family Affairs]]
[[Dennenesch Zoudé]], German actress and United Buddy Bears Special Ambassador |- | '''2010'''
May - July || [[Astana]] / {{KAZ}}, Right next to the [[Bayterek|Bayterek Tower]] || [[Imangali Tasmagambetov]], Akim of Astana
[[:de:Rainer Eugen Schlageter|Rainer Schlageter]], German Ambassador in Kazakhstan |- | 2010
September - October || [[Helsinki]] / {{FIN}}, [[Helsinki Senate Square|Senate Square]] || [[Jussi Pajunen]], Mayor of Helsinki
[[:de:Peter Scholz (Diplomat)|Peter Scholz]], German Ambassador in Finland |- | '''2011'''
April - May || [[Sofia]] / {{BUL}}, [[St Nedelya Church|Square St Nedelya]] || [[Yordanka Fandakova]], Mayor of Sofia
Klaus Wowereit, Berlin’s Governing Mayor
[[:de:Matthias Martin Höpfner|Matthias Martin Höpfner]], German Ambassador in Bulgaria |- | 2011
June - October || [[Berlin]] / {{GER}}, [[Kurfürstendamm]] || [[Klaus Wowereit]], Berlin’s Governing Mayor
[[:de:Monika Thiemen|Monika Thiemen]], Mayor of [[Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf]] |- | 2011 / 2012
November - February|| [[Kuala Lumpur]] / {{MYS}}, Right next to the [[Pavilion Kuala Lumpur]] || [[Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah]], Sultan of [[Selangor]]
[[:ms:Ahmad Fuad Ismail|Ahmad Fuad Ismail]], Mayor of Kuala Lumpur |} ===Particular highlights with a political dimension=== *2003 Berlin: Having visited the exhibition in Berlin in 2002, Sir [[Peter Ustinov]] insisted that [[Iraq]] should be represented in the circle of United Buddy Bears in the future. In 2003, Iraq took part in the circle for the first time and Ustinov gave the opening address of the exhibition in the presence of more than 70 ambassadors. *2004 Hong Kong: Jackie Chan saw the exhibition in Berlin in 2003. On his initiative, the international bears travelled to Hong Kong one year later. Chan became the patron for this event. More than 3,000 VIPs from the world of politics, business and culture took part in the opening ceremony. *2005 Seoul: In the run-up to the exhibition in [[South Korea]], two artists got the permission to travel from [[North Korea]] to Germany via [[Beijing]] in order to design a United Buddy Bear in Berlin on behalf of their country. Hence it was possible that both North- and South Korea stood together ''hand in hand'' for the first time during an art exhibition. *2007 Jerusalem: All countries of the Arab World were represented in the circle of 132 nations, with a [[Palestinian National Authority|Palestinian]] bear on an equal footing with all the other bears for the first time in Jerusalem, [[Israel]]. *2008 Pyongyang: It was the first exhibition in North Korea that was be accessible for everyone and open to everybody. According to official information, around 100,000 visitors were counted every week in Pyongyang. ===United Buddy Bears - The Minis=== Since 2002, many artists have been able to come to Berlin thanks to the support of the two largest German airlines and the Hotel Association Berlin-Brandenburg. Many of these artists have not only designed a 2 metre tall bear, but also a smaller bear (1 metre) on behalf of their individual countries. In the autumn of 2003, the circle of ''United Buddy Bears-The Minis'' — was presented in Berlin for the first time. Since then, this circle has been shown in [[Frankfurt/Main]], in [[Potsdam]] and at the [[Sony Center]] in Berlin — to name just a few locations. ==Aid for Children in Need== Buddy Bear activities and help for children in need have formed an inseparable unit. New ''United Buddy Bears'' are often designed to replace the previous unique sculpture of a particular country. Many countries are already represented with the third or fourth bear. The previous bears designed on behalf of the respective countries are generally sold at auctions. A total of [[Euro]] 1,700,000 (as per November 2010) has so far been generated through donations and selling ''Buddy Bears'' at auction in aid of UNICEF and local organisations helping children in need. ==External links== {{commons|United Buddy Bears}} * [http://www.buddy-bear.com/en.html United Buddy Bears website] {{en icon}} * [http://www.buddy-baer.com/classic-buddy-bears.html Classic Buddy Bears home page] * [http://www.berlin-message.com/en/index.html The Golden Buddy Bears] * [http://www.jackiechankids.com/files/Buddy_Bears.htm Jackie Chan and the United Buddy Bears] * United Buddy Bears: [http://www.worldisround.com/articles/48301/index.html in Hong Kong], [http://www.united-buddy-bears-sydney.com/ in Sydney], [http://www.ubb-cairo.com/ in Cairo], [http://www.ubb.jerusalem.muni.il/ in Jerusalem], [http://www.buddybears.co.kr/ in Seoul] * Buddy Bears in: [http://www.buddy-baer.ch/ Bern, Switzerland], [http://www.buddy-fans.de/bilder/shanghai.shtml Shanghai], [http://www.sanktgallen-baerenstark.ch St.Gallen, Switzerland] {{coord missing|Berlin}}