What's Up With Our Democracy?
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| free admission |
| no ticket required |
| German |
| Mechanical Arena in the Foyer |
| Belongs to: Endless Palace |
Germany is facing major challenges in this year’s elections. The European elections and three state elections are coming up. Anti-Semitism, racism and anti-democratic sentiment are on the rise and, according to polls, the AfD could make further gains in the elections.
Forum Demokratie offers a space to discuss: What are the underlying causes of this development in the East or the West? The Vice President of the German Bundestag Petra Pau and bandleader and pianist Andrej Hermlin will discuss these questions in a town hall meeting. The two are contemporary witnesses to the transformation of the German states and are actively involved in shaping this process.
The Humboldt Forum symbolises the eventful history of this country like almost no other place: Palace – Palace of the Republic – Humboldt Forum. It is therefore a special place for democratic dialogue at eye level.
The aim is to learn from history together with the public in order to break new ground and actively strengthen democracy.
Participants
Andrej Hermlin was born in Berlin in 1965, the son of the writer Stephan Hermlin. Andrej Hermlin received his first piano lessons at the age of seven.
From 1986 to 1990, Andrej Hermlin studied at the Department of Dance and Popular Music at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin. During his studies, he founded the Swing Dance Band, which he gradually expanded over the following years.
The “Swing Dance Orchestra” has existed in its current form since 2001 and is known for its absolutely authentic presentation of American swing from the 1930s.
Andrej Hermlin and his orchestra are at home on Germany’s major concert stages and have performed in New York, Tel Aviv, Moscow, Hong Kong, London, Milan and many other cities around the world. He has composed film music, published articles in prestigious newspapers and can often be heard and seen on radio and television, not least because of his pronounced political positions.
In 2011, Andrej Hermlin published his autobiography “My Way – Ein Leben zwischen den Welten” (a life between worlds).
Andrej Hermlin is married and has three children.
Petra Pau was born in Berlin in 1963 and was elected to the district parliament in Hellersdorf in 1990 and to the Berlin House of Representatives in 1995. She was a member of the German Bundestag with a direct mandate from 1998 to 2021. She has been elected Vice President five times since 2006. Petra Pau is currently also the religious policy spokesperson for the Left Party parliamentary group in the Bundestag. Her pro-topics are civil rights and democracy, her contra-topics are right-wing extremism, racism and anti-Semitism.
An association of citizens that creates active formats, networks and places for dialogue on democratic values. Its members are united by the goal of strengthening the active living of democratic values and the engagement of as many citizens as possible in civil society with democratic participation. This is at a time when democratic societies around the world – including in Germany – are in danger. They are facing major challenges that require a democratic dialogue and a place for it. The Humboldt Forum can be this place.