Twenty-five years ago today, on September 11, 2001, the terrorist attacks in the United States shocked the world. For many people, this day remains associated with deeply personal memories. Two long-standing ChemCon employees were also in close proximity to the events at the time.
Dr. Raphael Vogler, founder and CEO of ChemCon, and Klaus Maner, who was already working in Quality Assurance at the time, were in Washington, D.C. on behalf of ChemCon on September 11, 2001. They were attending an event organized by the Parenteral Drug Association (PDA), together with representatives of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the pharmaceutical industry.
The training sessions focused on what was then the still relatively new topic of digitalizing pharmaceutical documentation and on how electronic systems could be implemented in a GMP-compliant manner. ChemCon was therefore already engaging at an early stage with a subject that continues to shape the pharmaceutical industry today.
During one of the training sessions, the first reports of the attacks reached the participants. The event was subsequently brought to an end, and those present followed the unfolding events on television in the hotel lobby.
“I still remember exactly how Klaus was already sitting in front of a television screen and, looking completely pale, told me that one of the two World Trade Center towers had just collapsed.” recalls Raphael Vogler (translated from German).
Only as the day progressed did it become clear just how close they had been to the events. One of the hijacked aircraft had crashed into the Pentagon, only a few miles from the event venue. Raphael Vogler and Klaus Maner had originally planned to visit the Pentagon that same afternoon.
At first, the destination of the fourth hijacked aircraft was also unknown. The training venue was located only a few hundred meters from the White House, creating an atmosphere of great uncertainty.
Due to the security situation, the two were initially unable to return to the hotel where they were staying. It was not until around a week later that they were able to fly back to Germany.
Twenty-five years later, the memories of that day remain vivid. Our thoughts are with the victims of the attacks, their families, and all those whose lives were permanently changed by the events of September 11, 2001.