Keynote lecture: ‘On the Historical Roots and Contemporary Forms of Ukraine’s Struggle for Independence’ - Susann Worschech
Tickets required | Event language: German | TUESDAY, 6 - 9 p.m., Hygiene Museum Dresden | Independence and freedom play a central role in Ukraine’s self-understanding and stand at the heart of its historical memory. This is evident not only in national symbols, songs, the text of the national anthem and in literature, but also in three major revolutions since 1990 and, ultimately, in Ukraine’s active and still unbroken resistance against Russia’s war of aggression. The lecture will explain the foundations of the Ukrainian society’s uncompromising will for freedom, the forms it takes today, and why a Ukrainian defeat by Russia would pose an immense danger to Europe as a whole.
In cooperation with Aktion Zivilcourage e. V. and the Federal Agency for Civic Education
The war in Ukraine has once again brought the threat to freedom in Europe into public awareness. Yet freedom has never been something to be taken for granted – it has always had to be won, by individuals, by social movements, by political actors, and at times even by armies.
How endangered is freedom today? Do current debates about defence budgets and the reintroduction of compulsory military service indicate that Western values and freedoms must once again be defended with weapons? How far would we personally be willing to go? For which freedoms would we be ready to fight – or even to die?
About the series ‘Dresden in Conversation about Freedom’
What is freedom, and how important is it to you? Do you feel free today? And what about the freedom of others? After an introductory lecture by experts from academia and the media, participants are invited to exchange views in moderated small groups about their personal experiences of freedom. Together, we will explore what this central idea of democracy means for our lives and for how we live together as a society.
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