Democracy and the rule of law have rarely been under as much pressure as they are today. Their existential crisis is also and above all a crisis of the meaning and function of truth and trust in society, as well as of a political discourse that opportunistically asserts alternative truths, thus distancing itself from facts as a standard basis for its operations. Science and research, as embodiments of the systematic search for truth, play a vital role in this crisis. Science may flourish and prosper in democratically constituted, constitutional states that guarantee freedom, but it is not itself democratically constituted: Scientific discourses are radically more open than political discourses and yet do not accept everything that meets with a high level of approval.

The Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft and its institutes are committed to socio-politically relevant research. They address current issues that concern people and translate their research findings into practical relevance. Under the title ‘Science, Truth and Democracy’, the three Ludwig Boltzmann Institutes of Fundamental and Human Rights, Research on Consequences of War and Digital History have joined forces to intensify cooperation, pool expertise, leverage synergies and make an academic contribution to objectivity in times of multiple crises.

Against this background, the three Institutes are organising a joint conference on ‘Violence, Memories and Reconciliation: Truth as a Field of Conflict between Science and Democracy’ which will deal in an exemplary manner with the question of truth in the relationship between testimony and the culture of remembrance, in reports on conflict-related sexualised violence and in post-conflict situations (transitional justice).

Participation is free of charge. Due to the limited number of seats available, we kindly ask you to register by Sunday, 30 March 2025, using the following link: https://eveeno.com/300095272