PEN - Berlin | Is this still/already my country?

With a large series of discussions throughout Baden-Württemberg ahead of the state elections, PEN Berlin invites debates on home and democracy. The authors' association PEN Berlin is heading to the southwest of Germany and is organizing a series of discussions in 22 larger and smaller locations in Baden-Württemberg – the kickoff of a major series, with more events to follow. Many fears weigh on the Germans: the fear that the state can no longer fulfill its fundamental tasks, the fear of societal overload due to immigration, the fear that housing will become unaffordable and healthcare unattainable, and the fear of a deep economic downturn in this country. These fears are accompanied by complex feelings such as loneliness, powerlessness, and insecurity. How should one respond to political extremism? How and when should one address rising anti-Semitism and racism? All these and other fears can be bundled into one motif: the fear of losing the familiar. The fear of losing home. That is exactly what we want to talk about. About home. Under the fractured motto "Is this still my country?" to "Is this already my country?". In Heidenheim and Crailsheim, in Esslingen and Göppingen, in Ulm and here in Friedrichshafen. We will be guests in theaters and cultural centers, but also in other institutions important for social cohesion. The panels, each consisting of three members – including several journalists from the region – will feature not only people from the writing profession but also entrepreneurs, police officers, pastors, and local politicians. In Friedrichshafen, the playwright Theresia Walser and Raimund Wilhelmi, former head of the Buchinger Wilhelmi Clinic in Überlingen, will be our guests. Theresia Walser, born in 1967 in Friedrichshafen, is among the contemporary German playwrights. Her plays have won multiple awards and have been translated into 20 languages. "A Little Calm Before the Storm" has been staged over thirty times, and "I Am Like You, I Love Apples" has been staged almost forty times. She lives near Freiburg. Raimund Wilhelmi, born in 1949 in Bad Pyrmont (Lower Saxony), led the family-run Buchinger Wilhelmi Clinic in Überlingen on Lake Constance for forty years. He was actively involved in local politics (FDP) and supports young artists. His book: "The Joy of Fasting" (Hoffmann & Campe, 2020). The evening will be moderated by Dr. Johannes Bruggaier, born in 1977 in Athens, who wrote his doctoral thesis on classic productions. Since 2016, he has been leading the cultural editorial team of Südkurier in Constance and is responsible for the weekend magazine. He has received several awards, including the Axel Springer Prize. "This won't always be pleasant. But it seems to me that this path, seeking confrontation, is the right one," said PEN Berlin spokesperson Deniz Yücel. "Better than sitting in Berlin, invoking our democracy, and watching the number of those referred to by this possessive pronoun dwindle." An open conversation about what holds society together and what threatens to tear it apart. An overview of all 22 event locations and 66 participants can be found here. We thank the German Bundestag, the Federal Commissioner for Culture and Media, the federal program "Living Democracy!", the Federal Ministry for Education, Family, Seniors, Women, and Youth, the Berthold Leibinger Foundation, the Wüstenrot Foundation, and the agency Scholz & Friends for their support. We especially thank all participating institutions. So, Baden-Württemberg: Let's talk about home. PEN Berlin. We stand by our word.