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Dear Mr. President, dear brother in Jesus Christ,

a small delegation of our Church visited Berlin on 24^th and 25^th March on the occasion of the 275^th anniversary of the arrival Czech protestant religious exiles in Prussia. We had many good conversations with our hosts from the EKBO and the Moravian Church. Therefore we were able to gain a good insight into the events of the country of which you were elected to be president a few days ago. We share the joy of our brothers and sisters in Berlin regarding your election without any reservation. We are glad that your country elected you as its president and believe that you have all the necessary gifts to help European civilization re-discover the significance of the values of our Christian and Protestant traditions. We experience in the nearby Czech Republic – similar to the eastern part of Germany – the consequences of communist ideology and will follow your efforts with interest and rejoice in everything that advances the spiritual direction of the people, not only in your country, but also in the neighboring countries.

The values, which we believe we share with you, are necessary for the good development of people's lives. During the anniversary of the reception of the Czech emigrants by the Prussian king in 1737 we remembered Václav Havel who, with a nod to our philosopher Jan Patočka, emphasized: The most interesting part about responsibility is that we carry her always with us; that means, that we, here and now, in this time and at this place, in which God has put us, need to acknowledge and exercise her and that we can't escape in any direction. Therefore we rejoice that you will now have the opportunity to give strength and courage to the weak, to remind the powerful of the advantages of humility and to live with the faithful in the hope of God's kingdom.

Dear Mr. President, on behalf of the protestant Christians in the Czech Republic, we wish you all the best for your service. May God, the Lord, accompany you with his blessings and the gifts of the Holy Spirit which nourish us all. If your schedule allows for it, during a visit to the Czech Republic, we would be pleased to meet with you and welcome you to the headquarters of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren.

With our best wishes and a warm greeting from the Synodal Council of the ECCB

Yours Lia Valková, lay moderator, and Joel Ruml, moderator.

Prague, 4^th April 2012

The response of the President

I thank you very much for your congratulations on my assumption of office. The many proofs of agreement and solidarity are an encouragement for me with view to the tasks ahead. I will work with all my strength and my heart to do justice to the confidence placed in me.

Joachim Gauck

President of the Federal Republic of Germany

Berlin 2012