Ausstellung: Alexander Dubcek wird 100 – Veranstaltung: Persönlichkeiten in der Politik im Kampf um die Demokratie gestern und heute.
Hildebrandtstr. 25
10785 Berlin
The historical invasion of occupying tanks into Czechoslovakia in 1968 stopped the liberalisation efforts in Central Europe, crushed the hope for freedom in the heart of Europe for decades and changed its face forever. Freedom was forced underground for a long time to be finally brought back in November 1989. However, the battle for democracy has not ended with the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, with the fall of the Berlin Wall or the collapse of Soviet regime. It faces many new enemies today, external and internal, looming from various directions. They challenge us in our everyday life and online, revealing just how vulnerable our democracy is.
An immense load of propaganda, disinformation and hate speech form only a part of the pressure on democratic state structures in literally every corner of the world. This pressure is directed mostly against the people in politics. At the same time, political leaders have the best tools at hand to fight back. They played a key role then and they are the decision makers today as well. What impels them to pick the right side of history? What makes every time period so unique and what can we learn from that? How would the current politicians have reacted on the Prague Spring and what would its key figures have tweeted back then?
100 years ago, Alexander Dubček was born, a prominent Slovak politician and the key figure of the Prague Spring, known for his humanity, who saw his mission in the struggle for democracy.
On this occasion, we invite you to the discussion
| From Europe´s past to Europe´s future: Is democracy ever „won, safe, uncontested“? |
| Monday, 8 November 2021 at 18:00 p.m. |
| Embassy of the Slovak Republic, Hildebrandstraße 25, 10785 Berlin |
| Programme
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| 18:00 – 18:15 | Documentary: Willy Brandt in post-revolutionary Bratislava. Tribute to Alexander Dubček |
| 18:20 – 19:30 | From the Prague Spring in Czechoslovakia to November 1989 |
| Markus Meckel | The only democratically elected Foreign Minister of the former GDR; |
| Boris Zala | Former member of the European Parliament, a close friend of Alexander Dubček; |
| Jakub Drábik | Historian, Institute of History of the Slovak Academy of Sciences; |
| Darina Volf | Historian, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich; |
| 19:35 – 20:45 | How to defend democracy against modern threats |
| Renata Alt, MdB | FDP, Chairwoman of the Parliamentary friendship group for relations with SK, CZ and HU in the 19th electoral term of the German Bundestag; |
| Philipp Fritz | Warsaw correspondent for Die Welt + Welt am Sonntag; |
| Markus Meckel | The only democratically elected Foreign Minister of the former GDR; |
| Boris Zala | Former member of the European Parliament, a close friend of Alexander Dubček; |
| Moderator | |
| Kai-Olaf Lang | Expert on Central and Eastern Europe at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wisssenschaft und Politik); |
| Language | |
| The discussion will be held in English | |
| Exhibition | |
| The event includes a thematic exhibition „Alexander Dubček (1921-1992), Symbol of the Czechoslovak Spring“ prepared by the Slovak Institute in Berlin in cooperation with the Historical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. | |
Please register until 4 November 2021 by email: veranstaltungen.berlin@mzv.sk
PLEASE NOTE:
The number of places is limited due to Covid-19. You will receive a confirmation of your registration by email. Please bring the confirmation for entrance.
The 3G rule applies: all visitors must be vaccinated, recovered or tested negative.
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