I was 6 years old when the Berlin Wall was pulled down 20 years ago today. Adolf Hitler had been dead for almost half a century, and I had no idea what the Cold War was about. The weight of history was lighter than my LEGO toys -- a nonexperience that millions of German kids shared in 1989.

We are Germany's "undivided generation," one that has come to view history not as a weight but as an obligation to lead. Young Germans these days are confident about their role in helping to shape the future.

In recent years, Germany has been on top of the most important issues of our time. We have had the best response to the global financial and economic crisis; our stimulus package was rated the most effective of industrialized economies by the Boston Consulting Group. As a responsible international stakeholder, we stimulated domestic demand and did not resort to protectionist measures. Germany's unemployment numbers have been checked by government-subsidized short-term work contracts. And the wildly successful abwrackpramie was copied in more than 10 countries, including the United States, where it was dubbed "cash for clunkers."

Berlin was criticized early in the crisis for introducing only a meager bailout. But we did not have to think in trillions because we had a social safety net in place to automatically cushion the fall of the economy. Call it socialism -- it is solidarity with hard-working people who face existential threats and should not be punished for the failings of gamblers on Wall Street. Need a systemic response to globalization? The German model of a "social market economy" is more relevant today than at any time since the end of World War II.

Climate change is the biggest challenge of our time. The prospect of reaching a meaningful accord on reducing emissions at Copenhagen next month is bleak. Yet the situation could be far worse.

Germany has reached its Kyoto emissions targets three years ahead of schedule and is not resting on what has been achieved. As a champion of renewable energy and producer of more than half of the world's solar technology, we are central to the European Union plan to cut emissions by 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. While the whole world talks about a re-emergence of the nuclear age, Berlin has irrevocably committed itself to move beyond finite nuclear technology and focus on renewables instead. Call it naive -- it is a practical vision.

The problem is, Germany could go carbon-neutral and the world still could fail to slow climate change. So we need to learn how to lead. And this leadership should not be limited to the economy or the environment.

Afghanistan is a case in point where our emphasis on a "comprehensive approach" to conflict could be proven successful. Winning over the Taliban requires a legitimate government in Kabul, a stronger Afghan military and a well-trained civilian police force, among other things.

Early in our NATO deployment we led the police training mission and failed miserably. Ever since, some German politicians have tried to excuse this failure and blame the problems of Afghanistan on the military operations conducted by others. This is not honest and risks discrediting the very concept we have been advocating, that is, the need for an effective combination of military and civilian initiatives.

If we Germans want a greater say in world affairs, we must do better. If we want countries to follow our example in matters of war and peace, we must lead by taking responsibility for both our successes and our failures.

History has taught older Germans to look inward. Young Germans believe history demands that we look both inward and outward. We are characterized by a unique duality: humbled by the potential destructiveness of mankind, yet confident in German leadership. We seek never to do harm and to stand up if harm is done to others.

The 6-year-olds of 1989 are finally noticing German achievements. We are proud of the heroic courage of more than 70,000 East Germans who took to the streets in October 1989 to protest against a tyrannical political system. We will not forget our legacy and that Germany's responsibility to the world is inevitably tied to the Holocaust. Yet our history is not a burden; it is part of our identity, and it obliges us to help shape the 21st century.

Cartoonist Rob Rogers does "Rob's Rough," an early look at his work and his creative process, exclusively at PG+, a members-only web site of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.