Düsseldorfer Reden

In the organizer's words:

About the event - In 2017, the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus and the Rheinische Post established the Düsseldorfer Reden series as a forum for important contemporary issues. Since then, personalities from the worlds of art, science, society and politics have always been invited to share their thoughts on a wide range of socio-political issues with the audience in speeches lasting around an hour in the first half of the year. Today, we feel surrounded by crises, each more pressing than the last. The war in Ukraine, the Middle East conflict, energy, climate change, the shift to the right ... The boundaries seem to be drawn ever more sharply and the willingness to differentiate seems to be dwindling. It is therefore high time to think and listen.

Igor Levit's speech will kick things off on February 2. He will be followed this year by the philosopher and author Svenja Flaßpöhler. The series will continue on April 27 with the writer Saša Stanišić and on June 15 with the philosopher Peter Sloterdijk.

Philosopher Peter Sloterdijk - Since he came onto the scene in the 1980s with his "Critique of Cynical Reason", philosopher and writer Peter Sloterdijk has been one of the most powerful, influential and controversial contemporary thinkers in Germany. One of the major themes around which his work revolves is the analysis of modern society and its crises. With his often provocative theses on politics, religion, society and the economy, he has triggered a series of public debates. After years as Rector of the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design, Sloterdijk continues to publish regularly. Most recently, his book "The Continent without Qualities" was published. In it, he attests that Europeans have lost their direction: "They don't know where they come from, let alone where the journey is going." In order to provide orientation, Peter Sloterdijk opens a few bookmarks in the book Europa. His Düsseldorf speech is therefore also entitled: "Europe - a post-dramatic script".