The success of right-wing and left-wing populist forces in Germany and other European countries, as well as Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, show just how much our liberal democracy is under threat from both within and without. How did this come to pass?

Together with former Federal President Joachim Gauck, we will explore why many citizens’ trust in the liberal principles of our democracy has been shaken.

At the same time, we will explore why the fundamental assumptions underlying Germany’s policy toward Russia over the past decades—which for far too long has relied on the principles of “peace before freedom” and “change through trade” in its relations with Russia—are increasingly being called into question today.

In a very compelling and, at times, personal account, Joachim Gauck describes how, in recent years, some of our certainty regarding the stability of our democracy has been lost—and how we can succeed in defending our freedom in the future as well.

About the author:

Joachim Gauck was born on January 24, 1940, in Rostock. After graduating from high school, he studied theology. From 1965 to 1990, he served in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mecklenburg and worked as a pastor for many years.

Even as a teenager, Joachim Gauck opposed the dictatorship in the GDR. In 1989, he was a co-initiator of the church-led and public resistance against the SED dictatorship. He led weekly peace prayers, which gave rise to the protest demonstrations against the SED regime. Joachim Gauck was a co-founder of the Neues Forum in Rostock and became its spokesperson.

In March 1990, he was elected as a member of the first freely elected People’s Chamber representing Alliance ’90. Joachim Gauck was elected chairman of the Special Parliamentary Committee for Overseeing the Dissolution of the Ministry for State Security. Since October 3, 1990, he has served as Special Commissioner—later Federal Commissioner—for the Records of the State Security Service of the former GDR. His second term ended in 2000.

From 2001 to 2004, Joachim Gauck served as the German member of the Governing Board of the European Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia in Vienna.

From 2003 to 2012, he served as federal chairman of the association “Against Forgetting – For Democracy e.V.” On March 18, 2012, the Federal Assembly elected Joachim Gauck as the eleventh President of the Federal Republic of Germany. His term of office ends on March 18, 2017.

Since 2017, he has been honorary chairman of the association“Gegen Vergessen – Für Demokratie e.V.”

Doors open: 6:30 m

Start: 7:00 pm

End: 8:30 pm

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