Programm-Typ: lecture

As concluding speaker, the Ukrainian philosopher and publicist Volodymyr Yermolenko has been secured. He lives in Kyiv and will be connected live to the stage via video screen for his talk.

Michael Ignatieff, Canadian author and former politician, introduces the theme of the conditio humana—the human condition—also explored in HUMAN, a documentary by French photographer and director Yann Arthus-Bertrand. The film weaves together interviews with over 2,000 people from more than 60 countries, alongside breathtaking aerial and landscape imagery from around the world.

Everything moves — ideas, objects, stories. Nothing we call our own truly originates “from here.” Raoul Schrott illustrates this kind of cultural transfer with a striking example: how a Jewish anecdote, traveling from East to West, eventually gave rise to both the figure of Sherlock Holmes and the notion of ‘serendipity.’

In his lecture, historian Wolfgang Maderthaner explores the historical focus of the festival: the 500th anniversary of the Peasants’ Wars, which had a significant origin in the region.

Award-winning writer Eva Menasse will open the Dachstein Dialoge 2025 | International Festival for Tolerance.

Michael Ignatieff, former rector of the Central European University, author of philosophical and biographical bestsellers and committed Canadian politician, formulates a fiery appeal for tolerance in times of war and polarisation.

“For Peace and Understanding: Teaching and Learning History” is a project of The Seagull Foundation for the Arts, a network of educators and members of civil society.

There are repeated calls for a new Enlightenment. Does that make sense? Yes, says Philipp Blom, historian and director of Dachstein Dialoge, it is more necessary and more relevant than ever.