SPEECH! – Himmler / Arendt: Evil Thinking

National Socialism and Its Antidote – with Heinrich Himmler and Hannah Arendt.

For this edition of "Reden!", two sources are confronted that could not be more opposed. In the so-called "Posen Speeches," the NS Reich Minister of the Interior Heinrich Himmler addressed the SS in private, revealing deep insights into the mindset and ruthlessness of the Nazi regime. The philosopher Hannah Arendt, who had to flee Germany for America, was interviewed in 1969 for the program "Zur Person," where she spoke about her experiences and the thought patterns of totalitarian regimes, which she examined in depth through her analysis of the Eichmann trial (1961). This legendary program – focusing on public reflection and discourse inspired by Hannah Arendt for this special evening – continues to influence renowned thinkers to this day. The ruthless ideologue and the thoughtful analyst – a contrast that still prompts reflection in other contexts today.

Martin Schwanda lends his voice to the henchman, while Arendt is embodied by performer and festival director Anna Luca Krassnigg. Philosopher star Konrad Paul Liessmann will provide his analysis on the philosophical evaluation and the questions surrounding critical stance and contemporary dangers.