“Science needs freedom in order to meaningfully impact and add value to society,” Michael Lysander Fremuth, Scientific Director of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental and Human Rights (LBI-GMR) and Professor of Fundamental and Human Rights at the University of Vienna, began his opening remarks of the conference “Violence, Memory, and Reconciliation: Truth as a Field of Conflict between Science and Democracy”. The event took place at the Law Faculty of the University of Vienna on 3 April 2025, at the invitation of the three Ludwig Boltzmann Institutes of Fundamental and Human Rights (LBI-GMR), Research on Consequences of War (BIK) and Digital History (LBIDH). It was dedicated to the in-depth analysis of National Socialism as well as, inter alia, sexual violence in conflicts, the question of reconciliation after the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, and the danger of so-called deepfakes, i.e. deceptively genuine-looking but fake video recordings, in international criminal proceedings.

In line with the guiding principle of the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft (LBG), the conference aims to conduct research for the people and for society – that is, “Science for Society”, the organisers agreed. Barbara Weitgruber, head of section at the Federal Ministry of Women, Science and Research (BMFWF), added the claim of “Science for Policy”, emphasising the shared responsibility of politics, administration, science and civil society in the current times of crisis. The President of LBG, Freyja-Maria Smolle-Jüttner, underscored the relevance of memory and reconciliation: “History has always been equated with the past. In recent years, however, we have been taught better. Reconciliation can only take place on the solid ground of facts and figures – and science provides these facts. Science and research serve as the fifth pillar of the state.”

Barbara Stelzl-Marx, Director of BIK, made an appeal against keeping silent and repressing memories, and in favour of remembering. She emphasised: “The past is not in the past, but is manifest in the present, especially in times of multiple crises.” In response to a question from the audience about how reconciliation can be achieved, Ingo Zechner, Director of LBIDH, replied clearly: “First of all, the victims must be asked whether they want reconciliation at all and, if so, with whom. That is the basis for everything else.”

After the panels and an audience Q&A, the organisers invited everyone to an informal get-together.

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. Further joint projects will follow this first conference. The aim is to pool expertise, leverage synergies and make an academic contribution to objectivity in times of multiple crises.