Talks about democracy and freedom of expression
You Can’t Say Anything These Days
Idea: PEN Berlin organised a series of talks in the East German states of Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg in August and September under the title “You Can’t Say Anything These Days – talks about democracy and freedom of expression”. A total of 37 events, from Annaberg to Perleberg, from Ilmenau to Zwickau. The series has now come to an end. We would like to thank the Stiftung Orte der deutschen Demokratiegeschichte, the Thüringer Programm Denk Bunt and the Programm Tolerantes Brandenburg, all our cooperation partners who allowed us to be their guests, the 118 writers, journalists, publicists and artists who took part, and especially all the citizens who came to discuss freedom of expression and democracy.
Videos & audios: Here you can find video and audio recordings of the events that took place in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg. Videos: Marie Eisenmann
Press coverage: Here you can find an overview of the media coverage and interviews about the series.
You Can’t Say Anything These Days [Bonus]: »We Work Mostly on a Voluntary Basis«
Deniz Yücel (Journalist, Spokesperson PEN Berlin) on the discussion series ‘You Can’t Say Anything These Days’ and the work of PEN Berlin (here on 17 September 2024 at the Brandenburg Theatre)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days [Bonus]: »Who wants Angela Merkel back?«
Aron Boks (Poetry Slammer, Tourmanager) at the question and answer session at the beginning of each event in the discussion series ‘You Can’t Say Anything These Days’ (here on 18 September 2024 at Klubhaus Ludwigsfelde)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Potsdam : »When I received this invitation, I was very surprised«
19. Sep | Waschhaus Potsdam | With: Monika Maron (Writer) & Eva Menasse (Writer); Host: Jan Feddersen (Journalist, taz); Extra-Guest: Sebastian 23 | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not all, but most of it)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Ludwigsfelde : »And then someone might eat an avocado«
18. Sep | Klubhaus Ludwigsfelde | With: Constantin Schreiber (Journalist, ARD/Tagesschau) & Juli Zeh (Writer); Host: Frédéric Schwilden (Journalist, Welt) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the whole event
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Brandenburg : »It is liberating to free yourself from an opinion«
17. Sep | Brandenburger Theater | With: Michel Friedman (Publizist) & Gustav Seibt (Journalist, Süddeutsche Zeitung) [in place of journalist Pinar Atalay who had to cancel at short notice] Host: Deniz Yücel (Journalist, Welt) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the whole event
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Eberswalde: »The greatest media disruption since the invention of printing«
16. Sep | Stadtbibliothek Eberswalde at Bürgerbildungszentrum Amadeu Antonio | With: Philipp Ruch (Action artist, Center for Political Beauty) [in place of journalist Maybrit Illner who fell ill at short notice] & Bernd Stegemann (Dramatic advisor); Host: Sabine Schicketanz (Journalist, Potsdamer Neuesten Nachrichten) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the whole event
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Perleberg: »I can say anything, but is it getting through?«
14. Sep | Kulturkombinat Perleberg | With: Jörg Phil Friedrich (Philosopher) [in place of writer Nora Bossong who fell ill at short notice] & Katharina Warda (Author); Host: Cornelia Geißler (Journalist, Berliner Zeitung) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Neuruppin: »Germany is not a talkshow«
13. Sep | Museum Neuruppin, supported by Havelländischen Buchhandlung | With: Christof Meueler (Journalist, nd.DerTag) & Cornelius Pollmer (Journalist, Süddeutsche Zeitung); Host: Kathrin Gottwald (Journalist, Märkische Allgemeine Zeitung) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the whole event
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Schwedt: »Every day someone writes that freedom of expression is being restricted«
12. Sep | Uckermärkische Bühnen Schwedt | With: Christian Bangel (Journalist, Zeit) & Boris Kruse (Journalist, Märkische Oderzeitung); Host: Deniz Yücel (Journalist, Welt) [in place of journalist Susanne Gaschke of Neuen Zürcher Zeitung who had to cancel at short notice] | More about the guests
Audio recording of the whole event
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Senftenberg: »1000 years of bad mood«
11. Sep | Neue Bühne Senftenberg | With: Melanie Möller (Author) & Manja Präkels (Writer); Host: René Schlott (Author) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the whole event
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Frankfurt/Oder: »Words are not deeds«
10. Sep | Stadtbibliothek Frankfurt/Oder | In cooperation with the Brandenburg Literature Council | With: Ijoma Mangold (Journalist, Zeit) & Daniel Schulz (Journalist, taz); Host: Sophie Sumburane (Writer) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the whole event
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Cottbus: »You can’t get away with left-wing bullshit in the East«
8. Sep | Staatstheater Cottbus | Also part of the »Brandenburg Talks« series of events | With: Jan Fleischhauer (Journalist, Focus) & Jana Hensel (Journalist, Zeit); Host: Jörg Thadeusz (Journalist, rbb) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Finsterwalde : »We can’t pretend that we don’t discuss things here«
7. Sep | Ring-Café Finsterwalde | Also part of the » Finsterwald Talks« series of events | With: Heinz Bude (sociologist) & Harald Martenstein (Journalist, Welt, Zeit); Host: Ebru Taşdemir (Journalist, Freitag) [in place of journalist Alev Doğan of The Pioneer who fell ill at short notice] | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Eisenhüttenstadt: »Oversensitivity leads to intolerance«
6. Sep | Friedrich-Wolf-Theater Eisenhüttenstadt | With: Svenja Flaßpöhler (Philosopher, Philosophie Magazin) & Ahmad Mansour (Psychologist); Host: Jana Simon (Journalist, Zeit); Extra-Guest: Masha Qrella (Musician) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Erfurt: »It spills over into the West«
31. Aug | Zentralheize Erfurt | With: Thea Dorn (Writer) & Juan Moreno (Journalist, Spiegel); Host: Martin Machowecz (Journalist, Zeit); Extra-Gast: Christiane Rösinger (Musician) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (almost everything)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Ilmenau: »There was no East-West conflict before 1989«
30. Aug | Kleinod Ilmenau | With: Daniela Danz (Writer) & Miku Sophie Kühmel (Writer); Host: Alexandru Bulucz (Writer) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Eisenach: »I stand outside the debating room«
29. Aug | Landestheater Eisenach | With: Kathrin Schmidt (Writer) & Juliane Stückrad (Writer); Host: Nhi Le (Journalist, NDR) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Gotha: »Of course, the East remains different«
28. Aug | Ekhof-Theater auf Schloss Friedenstein, Gotha | With: Paula Fürstenberg (Writer) & Nancy Hünger (Writer); Host: Aron Boks (Slam Poet) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Nordhausen: »There is now more space for freedom of expression«
27. Aug | Theater Nordhausen | With: Stephan Anpalagan (Author, Stern) & Nikolaus Blome (Journalist, RTL/Spiegel); Host: Romy Gehrke (Journalist, MDR) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (full event, including the audience part)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Pößneck: »It all started in 2014«
26. Aug | Pößneck alternativer Freiraum | With: Christian Fuchs (Journalist, Zeit) & Peggy Mädler (Writer); Host: Kathleen Kröger (Journalist, Thüringer Allgemeine) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Heiligenstadt : »I’m starting to get a bit tired of all the opinions out there«
25. Aug | Eichsfelder Kulturhaus, Heiligenstadt | With: Katja Lange-Müller (Writer) & Anastasia Tikhomirova (Journalist, Zeit); Host: Jan Röhnert (Writer) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Gera: »We haven’t destroyed the private space, but the public one«
24. Aug | Theater Altenburg-Gera | With: Georg Restle (Journalist, ARD/Monitor) & Florian Schroeder (Cabaret artist); Host: Doris Akrap (Journalist, taz) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Greiz: »A person is more than just a point of view«
23. Aug | Kultur-Kirche Greiz | With: Marion Brasch (Writer) & Valerie Schönian (Journalist, Zeit); Host: Michael Helbing (Journalist, Ostthüringer Zeitung) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Meiningen: »More and more, we are only talking to like-minded people«
22. Aug | Volkshaus Meiningen, in cooperation with Stadt- und Kreisbibliothek »Anna Seghers« Meiningen | With: Navid Kermani (Writer) & Michael Venus (Filmmaker); Host: Caroline Fetscher (Journalist, Tagesspiegel) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Suhl: »Many people mix up freedom of expression with the obligation to express an opinion«
21. Aug | Kulturbaustelle Suhl | With: Romina Nikolić (Writer) & Jo Schück (Journalist, ZDF/aspekte); Host: Sebastian Haak (Journalist, Freies Wort) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Sonneberg: »It might feel a bit like before«
20. Aug | Gesellschaftshaus Sonneberg | With: Martin Debes (Journalist, Stern) & Anette Dowideit (Journalist, Correctiv); Host: Martin Jankowski (Writer); Extra-Guest: Friedrich Herrmann (Slam-Poet) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Dresden: »We should not demonise social media«
19. Aug | Deutsches Hygiene-Museum, Dresden | With: Katja Hoyer (Historian) & Paula Irmschler (Writer); Host: Lydia Jakobi (Journalist, MDR); Extra-Guest: Jayrôme C. Robinet (Slam-Poet) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Döbeln: »In the East, the ability to trust people is lower«
18. Aug | Stadtbibliothek Döbeln, in cooperation with Treibhaus Döbeln | With: Marcel Beyer (Writer) & Jan Kuhlbrodt (Writer); Host: Johanna Lemke (Journalist, Sächsische Zeitung) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Görlitz: »It also has to pop sometimes«
17. Aug | Gerhart-Hauptmann-Theater Görlitz | With: Antonie Rietzschel (Journalist, Leipziger Volkszeitung) & Peter Tiede (Journalist , Bild); Host: Linn Penelope Rieger (Writer) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Hoyerswerda: »We may have one opinion today, and a different one tomorrow«
15. Aug | Kulturfabrik, Hoyerswerda | With: Antje Rávik Strubel (Writer) & Maximilian Steinbeis (Author, Verfassungsblog); Host: Juliane Streich (Journalist, kreuzer) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Großenhain: »There are times when we should be harsher in our judgement«
14. Aug | Alberttreff, Großenhain | With: Anna Kaminsky (Author, Federal Foundation for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Germany) & Jakob Springfeld (Author); Host: Joachim Helfer (Writer) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Torgau: »We have become the land of lowered voices«
13. Aug | Kulturbastion Torgau | With: Patrick Bahners (Journalist, FAZ) & Ralf Schuler (Journalist, nius); Host: Gabriela Jaskulla (Professor of Journalism) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Wurzen: »We can no longer agree on the facts«
12. Aug | Ringelnatzhaus, Wurzen | With: Charlotte Gneuß (Writer) & Sabine Rennefanz (Journalist, Spiegel); Host: Peter Unfried, Journalist (taz) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Pirna: »Sometimes it’s almost too much for me what people think they’re allowed to say«
10. Aug | Kleinkunstbühne Q24, Pirna | With: Marko Martin (Writer) & Anne Rabe (Writer); Host: August Modersohn (Journalist, Zeit) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Bautzen: »There is a lack of a diversity of opinions«
9. Aug | Steinhaus Bautzen | With: Jacinta Nandi (Author) & Ingo Schulze (Writer); Host: Ruth Fuentes (Journalist, taz) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Zwickau: »We must be able to withstand more«
8. Aug | Zwickau, Alter Gasometer | With: Sebastian Krumbiegel (Musician) & Konstantin Küspert (Playwright); Host: Katja Gloger (Journalist) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Annaberg: »We have fought for the right to have doubts«
7. Aug | Alte Brauerei | With: Grit Lemke (Writer) & Deniz Yücel (Journalist, Welt) [for author Wolfgang Hegewald, who fell ill at short notice]; Host: Anne Lena Mösken (Journalist, Freie Presse) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Plauen: »We have to learn how to argue«
6. Aug | Malzhaus Plauen | With: Ines Geipel (Author) & Per Leo (Author); Host: Ulrike Almut Sandig (Writer) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
You Can’t Say Anything These Days in Chemnitz: »We live in one of the freest countries in the world«
5. Aug | Chemnitz, Weltecho | With: Ilko-Sascha Kowalczuk (Historian) & Dirk Oschmann (Literary scholar); Host: Bettina Baltschev (Author); Extra-Guest: PeterLicht (Musician) | More about the guests
Audio recording of the event (not everything, but a lot)
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