Symposium „Dictatorship and resistance“
The event once again highlighted the central role of democracy and the rule of law as the basis for the protection and exercise of fundamental and human rights.
On 30 June 1942, the first resistance fighters against the Nazi regime were executed at the Vienna Regional Court. 80 years later – from Wed., 29 June, to Fri., 1 July 2022 – a top-class symposium was held at four locations in Vienna in their memory on the topic of “Dictatorship and Resistance”. The Association for the History of Justice and the Rule of Law, the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental and Human Rights and the Institute for Constitutional and Administrative Law of the University of Vienna designed a diverse programme that, among other things, emphasised the great importance of remembrance culture and political education. In addition to the scientific examination of the topic, moving letters from resistance fighters in prison were read and musical contributions were offered.
The symposium made it possible to raise awareness of a dark period in Austrian judicial history. However, the central importance of democracy and the rule of law as an indispensable basis for the protection and exercise of fundamental and human rights was also emphasised.
The complete programme can be found in the download area.
Some video recordings (in German) for re-watching:
Welcome by:
- Ronald Maier (Vice Rector for Digitisation and Knowledge Transfer at the University of Vienna)
- Martin Polaschek (Federal Minister for Education, Science and Research of the Republic of Austria) – Greeting
- Michael Lysander Fremuth (Scientific Director of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental and Human Rights | Professor at the Institute for Constitutional and Administrative Law at the University of Vienna)
Moderation: Magdalena Steringer (Research Associate at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Fundamental and Human Rights)
Symposium “Diktatur und Widerstand” – Begrüßung – YouTube
Lecture: University and Resistance? – Opposition using the example of ethnology
Peter Rohrbacher (Senior Researcher at the Institute for Social Anthropology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences)
Moderation: Magdalena Steringer (Researcher at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Fundamental and Human Rights)
Symposium “Diktatur und Widerstand” – Universität und Widerstand? – YouTube
Lecture: The Prohibition of the Death Penalty from a Human Rights Perspective
Michael Lysander Fremuth (Scientific Director of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental and Human Rights | Professor at the Institute for Constitutional and Administrative Law at the University of Vienna)
Moderation: Magdalena Steringer (Research Associate at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Fundamental and Human Rights)
Panel: Convicted and Executed – Dark Sides of Austrian Judicial History
Inputs:
- Ilse Reiter-Zatloukal (Director of the Institute for Legal and Constitutional History at the University of Vienna)
- Ursula Schwarz (Historian at the DÖW)
- Brigitte Rigele (Director of the Vienna City and Provincial Archives)
Moderation: Magdalena Steringer (Researcher at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Fundamental and Human Rights)
Symposium “Diktatur und Widerstand” – Panel “Verurteilt und hingerichtet” – YouTube
Panel: Trust in Politics and the Rule of Law
Inputs:
- Clemens Jabloner (former Vice Chancellor and Minister of Justice)
- Michael Häupl (former Governor and Mayor of Vienna)
- Hermann Dikowitsch (Head of the Culture, Science and Education Group)
Moderation: Friedrich Forsthuber (President of the Regional Court for Criminal Matters Vienna)
Symposium “Diktatur und Widerstand” – Panel “Vertrauen in Politik und Rechtsstaat” – YouTube
