Mediation has been around for millennia. It was already widespread in antiquity, and the term “mediation” has both Greek and Latin roots. It means “neutral, mediating, impartial”.
In Asia, too, it had and still has a high priority, because it allows agreement without loss of face. After all, it was Chinese immigrants who brought mediation to the United States. In the US, mediation has been established for decades, in some cases it is even required before a legal proceeding can be started.
In Europe, mediation has been around since the Middle Ages. Known is the Venetian nobleman and mediator Alvise Contarini, who has made essential contributions as a mediator to the Peace of Westphalia of the year 1648.
In modern times mediation has been introduced in Germany from the end of the 70s. Due to the positive experiences with mediation in the US, a law was passed in 2012 to promote mediation. Since then, mediation as an out-of-court procedure to solve conflicts has been on a steady rise in practice and public perception.
