Leipzig in conversation: memories, politics and art at the podcast event!

Leipzig in conversation: memories, politics and art at the podcast event!

On September 6th, an exciting audience episode of the podcast “All said?” took place in the Gewandhaus in Leipzig. took place, which was a complete success with 1,360 visitors. This event referred to current social developments and took place as part of the fourth Democracy Weekend, which was organized by the Gewandhaus Orchestra. The motto of this weekend was: “Striking the right tone” and was aimed at addressing the question of how the right tone can be defined in music and society. It was about the complex meaning of sounds and their influence on everyday life and politics. These topics were discussed in lively discussions that took place on Saturday afternoon in collaboration with the Saxon State Center for Civic Education. The Gewandhausorchester offered a musical start with Mozart's Sextet KV 522.

Numerous multi-faceted topics were addressed during the panel discussion. Leipzig civil rights activist and honorary citizen Gesine Oltmanns reported on her experiences, while cultural mayor Skadi Jennicke discussed the financial situation of the city's independent art scene. The Gewandhaus director Andreas Schulz presented his view of the budget and how political attitudes influence it. Personal stories weren't neglected either: Eleven-year-old Erwin recommended his favorite high school and young Tom talked about his search for an apartment in Leipzig. A special highlight was the story by Gundel Jannemann-Fischer, who talked about her musical childhood, while artist Michael Triegel reflected on his experiences after 1989.

Diversity of voices and experiences

The event was characterized by a multitude of voices and many emotional retrospectives. Book prize winner Martina Hefter shared her career as a writer with the audience. Journalists Hannah Suppa and Anne Hähnig appeared at the subsequent spontaneous discussion in the press club, enriching the conversation. All of this culminated in a joint singing of the song “The moon has risen”, which resulted in the 4-hour event becoming a harmonious community experience.

In the context of the right-wing tone in society, the event also discussed the challenges of digitalization in the Leipzig region, as well as the memories of the peaceful revolution of 1989, which continues to play a central role, particularly on October 9th, to this day. The artistic diversity and cultural peculiarities of Leipzig, such as the preference for Eastern soft ice cream, also contributed to the lively discussion. These topics are closely related to the “Democracy – but how?” project, which will offer workshops for Saxon schools in 2025 and thus educate and involve the next generation.

A look into the future

The educational initiative, which is supported by the DG Bildungswerk Sachsen, includes, in addition to the workshops, excursions to Berlin and the Buchenwald Memorial in order to give young people an awareness of historical and democratic processes. These projects are not only important for school education, but are also intended to promote social interaction. The courses address current topics such as bullying, fake news and the use of social media, which sensitize students to the problems of today.

Overall, it is clear that Leipzig has established itself as a place for lively discussions and cultural reflections. The combination of a strong local art scene and committed citizen dialogue makes the city an exciting center for social exchange. In this sense it can be said: Leipzig has hit the right note.