20th anniversary of the Gnadentaler Entrepreneurs' Table by Jutta Zülow

Düsseldorf, February 11, 2023

Jutta Zülow's Gnadentaler Unternehmertisch (GUT) celebrates its 20th anniversary:

"We long for people who can read the times."

Germany's best-known politicians and entrepreneurs have already been guests. But a crucial role is also played by the moderator. Last night, host Ulrich Deppendorf passed the reins to Uwe Schulz, WDR radio journalist. See also pictures of the most famous guests of the event series.

Ulrich Deppendorf, Jutta Zülow, Thomas de Maizière ©Zülow

Düsseldorf, February 11, 2023: On Gut Gnadental, the company headquarters of the well-known Düsseldorf entrepreneurial family Zülow, 2 gifted journalists met yesterday evening. Ulrich Deppendorf, long-time studio manager and editor-in-chief of television at the ARD capital studio in Berlin, who hosted the Gnadentaler Unternehmerisch GUT (Entrepreneurs' Table) a total of 14 times for 6 years, handed over the reign of moderation to Uwe Schulz, WDR radio journalist. At the same time, the anniversary took place: twenty years of the Gnadentaler Unternehmertisch was celebrated.

Gut Gnadental Unternehmertisch, the hostess

Since 2003, Jutta Zülow has been hosting powerful people who come to her in the former monastery in Neuss, now the corporate headquarters of Zülow AG (50 million m turnover): "We have preserved to this day what the monastery used to be: a place for the exchange of knowledge." The long list of guests is impressive. "Is this an interrogation here?" asked current Finance Minister Christian Lindner when interviewed in 2016. Other guests have included Sigmar Gabriel, Lars Klingbeil (2022) Minister Thomas de Maizière (2017), Friedrich Merz, Minister Peter Altmaier (2017), Minister Christa Thoben (2006), Prof. Dr. Michael Hüther or entrepreneur Christiane Underberg. In total, there have been almost forty events so far with top-class interview partners from culture, business and entrepreneurship.

Ulrich Deppendorf and Christian Lindner on Gut Gnadental ©Zülow

"We long for people who can read the times."

This time 2 journalistic greats met and it became a memorable evening talking about general politics, perspectives, and the broadcasting situation. Uwe Schulz began his introduction "We long for people who can read the time." Ulrich Deppendorf (73), is a former director of the ARD capital city studio and was in the foreground that evening. The event was so well attended that extra chairs had to be brought in.

"An Evening for Ulrich Deppendorf."

The highlight of the evening was an interview with Ulrich Deppendorf, which became particularly interesting when he was able to give anecdotes from his wealth of experience. Uwe Schulz quoted extraordinary questions from author Max Frisch and began Deppendorf's introduction with, "Anyone who doesn't know him has spent the last 40 years under a rock."

Ulrich Deppendorf was directly present at the most important historical events, such as the fall of the Berlin Mauer, and he met the most important shapers of our time, such as Helmut Kohl, Angela Merkel, Gerhard Schröder, to name just a few. For example, Deppendorf told of a "rough" political talk at Gut Gnadental with Sigmar Gabriel when he was still Minister of Economics. The organizers had asked her if he would even show up on his first day as foreign minister at the estate, but he did. Gabriel had later promised him a bottle of wine as a gesture, which he would wait for until today. Deppendorf had also an interview with Helmut Kohl about the party donation affair, after the politician had not spoken to him for a long time. Even if there was contact again later, they never became friends, he added.

Meeting with Angela Merkel

When Deppendorf and his team were reporting on the last DDR parliamentary elections, he was asked by a shy young woman from "Demokratischer Aufbruch" if she could have one of the ARD computers. He declined because he could not support a party with a donation. The name of this lady was Angela Merkel.

Witness

Ulrich Deppendorf reported that, like Helmut Kohl, he was in Warsaw when the news came that the Mauer was coming down in Berlin. He said that a charter plane had been organized for the journalists without further delay, and that they had waited until the last journalist was on board. Together with other journalists, including his colleague Fritz Pleitgen, he was present when the Stasi headquarters in Normannenstrasse in Berlin were stormed. He witnessed what must have been a transfer of files between the secret services on the top floor of the building.

The Germans

When Uwe Schulz asked him how he judged the current situation, Ulrich Deppendorf said that Germans had a tendency towards a depressive mood, constant discussions and overregulation. We would live in a time where there has been no war for 70 years and how close the current war would come to Germany, this was unclear. Political disputes would also increase. The problematic basic attitude of the Germans, he said, is to question everything to the deepest point and thereby not to see possible solutions.

He would like to see more empathy from Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Gerhard Schröder impressed him more in this respect.

The evening ended with a standing ovation for Ulrich Deppendorf. It will be interesting to see which guests Jutta Zülow will be able to welcome to Gut Gnadental in the future.

See here the pictures: 20 years Gut Gnadental Unternehmertisch:

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