When the “Free Word Initiative” commemorates the Salzburg book burning on April 30, 1938 by the National Socialists, the focus is not on history, but on the relation to the present. “A democracy also has to withstand disturbing opinions,” confirms co-initiator Tomas Friedmann.
With an online event on the anniversary of the Salzburg book burning on the Residenzplatz on April 30th, an artistic sign of freedom of expression will be set (from 6 p.m. on www.fs1.tv). Writer Doron Rabinovici takes a political stance under the title “Posture once: now”, young positions on the subject are represented by five successful poetry slammers.
The greatest danger comes from states in which democracy exists almost exclusively on paper, which are almost dictatorships. “But the pandemic shows that we in Austria also struggle with critical or disturbing opinions. A democracy has to withstand even the corona deniers, but take a stand against it with attitude and moral courage, “says co-initiator Tomas Friedmann, who focuses less on history than on the lessons for the present:” It’s about today. After all, a corona denier is also convinced of his ‘attitude’, but at the same time you have to be an enlightened person who is informed and interested. “