HANNOVER’S CREATIVE ARTISTS SET AN EXAMPLE AGAINST HATRED

Joint campaign by over 50 cultural institutions in Hanover

For weeks, hundreds of thousands of people have been taking to the streets across Germany to campaign for an open, democratic society. This was triggered by the revelations of the Correctiv research network about a meeting of right-wing extremist and fascist circles that developed plans for the mass deportation and expulsion of people from Germany.

Many people in Hanover are also appalled. On January 20, 35,000 people demonstrated peacefully on Opernplatz. This mobilization was a strong signal from civil society. But even if media interest is declining, democratic values must be strengthened and minorities in our society must continue to be protected.

In view of rising approval ratings for extreme right-wing positions and parties, growing racism and anti-Semitism, public agitation and defamation as well as increasing hatred and aggressive populism, a broad, cross-party alliance of the social center is more important than ever: Democracy is no longer a matter of course, it must be lived anew every day and in some cases actively defended.

Hanover’s creative artists stand together for solidarity and diversity. Regardless of the size of the institutions, associations or ensembles, regardless of the artistic genre or respective sponsorship: all cultural workers are united by the common mission to live the values of the free democratic basic order such as tolerance, freedom and equality and to promote differentiation, exchange and dialog in their projects and events. The Hanoverian public and visitors are invited to participate in many exhibitions and events every day.

Around 50 cultural institutions and creative artists in Hanover are now giving this responsibility a common face. Posters and banners with the slogans “Together for democracy” and “Together against hate” can be seen in Hanover’s city center from February 12. They are intended to show that Hanover’s diverse and vibrant cultural landscape is a reliable backbone of democracy.

Participating cultural institutions and alliances (as of 12.02.2024):

Festival Theaterformen
Freie Theater Hannover (association of 16 independent theaters and ensembles)
Friedrich Bödecker Circle Lower Saxony
Herrenhausen Gardens
Historical Museum
Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media
Kestner Company
KoKi Communal Cinema
Kulturdreieck (cooperation between various cultural institutions in Hanover’s city center)
Faust Cultural Center
Cultural Center Pavilion
Herrenhausen Art Festival
Hanover Art Association
Landerer & Company
Hanover State Museum
Hanover House of Literature
August Kestner Museum
Music school of the state capital Hannover
Hanover Music Center
Orchestra in the stairwell
Real Dance Festival
Landestrost Palace
Sprengel Museum Hanover
Staatstheater Hannover (State Opera and Schauspiel Hannover)
Hanover City Library
Kubus Municipal Gallery
Rollover Festival
Vereinte Kultur Hannover (association of cultural workers, initiatives and associations in independent sponsorship)
Villa Seligmann
Wilhelm Busch – German Museum of Caricature and Drawing
ZeitZentrum Civil Courage