Taking a scholarly approach the exhibition portrays the personal meetings that took place at Lake Balaton between East and West Germans in the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

The exhibition organisers included contemporary witnesses and the analysis of private film footage, correspondence, diaries and secret service documents in an effort to create a comprehensive picture, making comprehensible, and bringing close to viewers, the "German-German" unity, the personal experience of the division, as well as this outstandingly important period of German-Hungarian, German-German and European history.

The Collegium Hungaricum Berlin (CHB), founded in 1924, plays an active part in the cultural life of Berlin and Germany. Through the elaboration of its own themes and topical issues and with its creative impetus it contributes to the creation of a positive and authentic image of Hungary and seeks to portray Hungary's presence in Europe through its rich traditions in culture, science and technology. 

German Unity at Lake Balaton was launched by CHB as a major research and exhibition project in spring 2008 and the exhibition that came to Balatonfüred was the result of one and a half year's work which had grown into one of CHB's most successful events in Germany. After being exhibited in Berlin the project was shown in other German cities and has now returned to the venue where the events played out, the shores of Lake Balaton. 

Being one of the treasures of Balatonfüred, the Vaszary Villa was renovated within the framework of a close to two billion forint EU tender and won the urban image award for the third time this year. Since the opening of the villa's gallery in May the exhibitions and programmes it has hosted at an international standard have made the north shore of Lake Balaton an outstanding tourist attraction. It is therefore no coincidence that the German Unity at Lake Balaton, which forms part of the official programme of Hungary's presidency of the Council of the European Union, used the Vaszary Villa as its first venue in Hungary. 

Alongside the exhibition the institution is planning film clubs, concerts, mini-conferences and museum education workshops to create a comprehensive picture of the period. 

(Further details: www.vaszaryvilla.hu)