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Raisa Baragyan
International Democracy Conference in Leipzig [0] - 22.07.2025
Four-day Democracy - Student’s Absolute Monarchy“Welcome to Leipzig! We wish you spent good time here!”, - said the pilot and, finally, I believed my dream came true and I landed in Germany!
Raisa Baragyan (c) Gaudeamus
So, a lady with a typically “ladysize” luggage left the Airport Halle to face her adventures. They were not slow to come.
The first problem was to find the way to get to the center of the town and not to be late to the Gewandhaus zu Leipzig for the Opening of the Conference “International Demokratie Konferenz Leipzig (22.-24.Oktober 2009)”. I decided to come up to the driver sitting alone in his bus. He let me in and the bus started. My thoughts: ”Raya, you are alone in a foreign country, you are in some strange, empty bus on you way to God knows where…”. The next thought was: ”Hey, you, do you have a better idea to find the way? Then, keep silent and be optimistic!”
Thanks to that kind-hearted man, in 5 minutes I found myself at the railway station.
“3 EURO, 60 cents, bitte”- a ticket to the center of the town. By the way it can be used as a tram ticket as well. Finally I got to the Conference.
The conference. Opening Slides
(c) Gaudeamus
The conference moderator was Prof.Dr.Günther. Heydemann, University of Leipzig. The Conference was declared open by: Burkharrd Jung, Lord Mayor of the City of Leipzig, Markus Ulbig, State Minister of the Interior of the Free State of Saxony, Prof.Dr.Franz Haüser, Rector of the University of Leipzig.
Leipzig. Rathaus (c) Gaudeamus
After the opening remarks by Dr.Thomas de Maiziere, Head of the Federal Chancellery and Federal Minister, we went on to the keynotes of the first day of the Democracy Conference: “The Second October Revolution. A historic Stroke of Luck” by Prof. Dr. Peter Graf von Kielmansegg, former President of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities, former Vice President of the Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities and the German National Academic Foundation.
Panel discussions
(c) Gaudeamus
The next points of the discussion were: “Twenty Years of Democratic Renewal: A success Story or a large Construction Site?” by Karel Schwarzenberg, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, and a documentary by Edith Tar and Radjo Monk “Der Revolutionstisch – A social Sculpture“.
Communication with the Speakers
On this photo (in the center): Prof.Dr.Bogdan Murgescu, director of the Center for Administrative, Cultural and Economic Studies of the University of Bucharest. (c) Gaudeamus
During the breaks we had a good opportunity to communicate with the speakers.
Final days of the Conference
The Other issues covered: “Twenty Years of Democratic Renewal in Central and Eastern Europe-Results and Prospects’’ by Prof.Dr. James W.Davis, University of St.Gallen and Boris Nemzow, former Deputy Prime Minister of Russia.
From the Moral Courage to a Democracy? Challenges of the Renewal of Civil Societies between 1989 and 2009 – Experiencies gained in Poland, Croatia and Belarus.
The panel discussion focused on the experiences made in Poland, Croatia and Belarus with the journey from the streets to the institutions and raised the question of the place civil society interventions should occupy over the respective stages of the development of democratic institutions.
Gewandhaus zu Leipzig (c) Gaudeamus
It’s well known that there is no democracy without public. And here arises the question if there is such a thing as public control through the media as a fourth power? The question was discussed in the frames of the Panel: ”Democracy as a Presence in the Media. Public Control or Controlled Public - Experiences with the Fourth Power’’ in Hungary, Rumania and Ukraine. Having discussed these points on the example of different East European countries we, finally, draw our attention to “Germany’s Image- Looking In and Looking Out’’, ideas on the Peaceful Revolution and the process of German reunification.
Farewell Party for all the participants
© Gaudeamus
After the workshops where participants could express their points of view and work in groups making projects we could enjoy the surprise the organizers had prepared for us. It was a candlelit supper at Moritzbastei and juzz concert by a group that once broke apart but then reunited. It’s very symbolic as compared to the History of Germany.
© Gaudeamus
Now, that these hardships are in the past we wish Germany prosperity. A candel is a symbol of Light and Eternity. So, lets wish Germany all the best and forevermore...
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