Program

The symposium brings together experts in history, law, culture and politics to discuss Soviet monuments in Berlin, their misuse of disinformation, and international experiences in dealing with them.

Idea Party: Three voices, three ideas - from crazy to unrealized. The audience reacts, discusses and adds their own. An interactive format as part of Berlin Freedom Week.

Writing history and drawing lessons from it is highly political in many countries, but for the Chinese Communist Party it is crucial for legitimizing its rule and ambitions. Indeed, the control of history is one of Xi Jinping’s signature policies.

How do people in exile remember? Using the example of the Free Belarus Museum in Warsaw, this event shows how Belarusians have been developing new forms of remembrance since the 2020 protests—beyond state historical policy, as an expression of identity and civil resistance.

We discuss how the new European Democracy Shield protects democracies, what opportunities and funding possibilities it opens up for non-profit organisations, and how civil society can get actively involved.

This event commemorates President Reagan’s 1987 call to “tear down this wall” in Berlin and reflects on today’s global divide between freedom and autocracy that continues to shape our world.

How can OVD-Info engage thousands of people in human rights advocacy when activism is dangerous? We'll show how our digital tools are helping political prisoners and overcoming repression in Russia.

From Ayn Rand to Václav Havel, from George Orwell to Alexander Solzhenitsyn – their works revolve around truth as a weapon against oppression and as the foundation of freedom. The lecture explores what we can learn from these thinkers today. Free admission.

Keynote speech followed by a panel discussion with Leopoldo López, Venezuelan opposition leader in exile and committed activist for freedom and democracy.