Being Brave in Kulenkampff’s Living Room
Wiesbaden, Rhein-Kongress-Center, formerly Rhein-Main-Halle.
Admittedly, after the refit of the last 10 years, this place almost looks like a meeting temple. An elegant row of columns supports the awning, behind which the high and spacious halls extend. A hint of the James-Simon-Gallery, just without the Museum Island.
Where today the German Foundation Day 2025 takes place, Hans-Joachim Kulenkampff brought the then Federal Republic together in front of the television in the 1960s. EWG – One Will Win or also “let’s bring the European Economic Community together playfully.” Kulenkampff, the good-humored storyteller of the world, who casually guided his somewhat unprepared, slightly dilettante participants through general knowledge at the Abitur level, brought a cosmopolitan perspective into the bourgeois to petty-bourgeois living rooms of the old Federal Republic. In the end, he was sent off by his producer disguised as a butler, “Mr. Martin,” in a small disrespectful dialogue. The esteemed Mr. Martin Jente had, however, been with the SS a few decades earlier. This only came to light later. Somehow, it fit the times.
After this excursion into history, I landed in the completely and very competently staged here and now of the German Foundation Day 2025. The motto “Being Brave” set the tone. Times are as they are. They require action, and that requires courage.
The entry with Joachim Gauck in the dimly lit North Hall already sketched a portrait of the times, which rightly raised concerns about society, humanity, peace, and the foundations of our existence, such as nature, against the opportunities and necessities to act. Gauck is not a prophet of doom; on the contrary. He is a fascinating speaker who makes it easy to follow his thoughts. Especially when he deviates from his speech manuscript, which he did several times. His life theme of freedom he has long combined with responsibility. To that, he added the topic of defense. Responsibility also includes that we defend ourselves. He sees this both domestically and internationally. Against those who threaten freedom, more than just shrugging off their ignorance and diplomatically formulated protest notes is required. The feeling of being right is simply not enough. Standing up for freedom, and thus for the freedom and dignity of all people, defending this freedom is not only justified; it is also an obligation. The AFD party ban resonated a bit in this context.
In the world of foundations, where many people engage in good causes, who often, too often, question whether they are doing something wrong, in a world where the conforming children are a widespread type, this was an important call, a permissive confrontation – and it was a highly welcome message. At the end of the hour, there was a standing ovation for our former head of state (which he rightly enjoyed).
If someone was looking for high-level inspiration and food for thought, they were in the right place here. Annette Heuser interviewed Florian Illies about his books on times of upheaval – namely, 1913 and Love in Times of Hate – and whether or how far parallels to the present day can be drawn. They can be drawn, and they cannot. Florian Illies pointed out that in the summer of 1913, no one foresaw a war that would affect all of Europe. Even in Sanary sur Mer, a place in Provence where already fleeing intellectuals and artists from Germany gathered in the late twenties, many were convinced that the Nazi scare would soon be over. Thomas Mann was one of them.
History is indeed interpreted backward; the grand lines can then be wonderfully laid into the course of events. However, it is experienced forward, consisting of many options, messy feelings, actions, and decisions – and a great deal of confusion.
Florian Illies’ thoughtfulness and his willingness to perceive and portray the people of that time in their humanity and in their time made me feel, at the latest, that I was at an important and the right event.
Eckart von Hirschhausen staged the conclusion of the first day. After some warm-up difficulties on this stage, he directed attention to the species human as part of nature. Strong images, strong quotes from other prominent figures, the big picture, and the relevant contributions of many small initiatives from the foundation world. “Do good and talk about it,” was his motto. It was an introduction to initiatives that presented their projects over the course of the two congress days.
There were many of them, and damn many addressed important and correct issues of civil society. Whether it was about developing a good civil society in East Germany through the promotion and qualification of changemakers and social entrepreneurs (Kinnings Foundation) or the intelligent collaboration of public and private funds for social startup initiatives, as Projecttogether has accomplished. The air was thick with inspiration, calls for cooperation, or simply admiration for the sustainable commitment of the protagonists. Their attitude of just getting started and not insisting that this is the solution for the world, that experimenting is just as important as failing with a fundamentally good idea, was refreshing and not sticky, like some narratives about saving the world.
There was indeed a museum. Right across from the intersection stood the white sugar cube of the Reinhard Ernst Museum. The founder and benefactor brought it to life in his narrative, a life story from becoming an entrepreneur to being a benefactor.
On the evening of May 21, a young Jewish couple was shot by an assassin in Washington. Because they were Jews. This part of reality was also present. The minute of silence for the two victims was a gesture, thus closing a circle to the opening of the days. The vulnerability in open society, the vulnerability of open society – and the clear call to defend it, was embodied in this minute of silence.
These days, Kulenkampff would have surely appreciated what happened in his living room.
Joachim Karnath
Karlsruhe, May 23, 2025
P.S.: For all those born late and later who do not know Hans-Joachim Kulenkampff anymore, I recommend the Wikipedia entry about him and also the film “Kulenkampff’s Shoes” from 2018.
