Viadrina in focus: Exciting events in October 2025!

Viadrina in focus: Exciting events in October 2025!

On October 2, 2025, the European University Viadrina a selection of public events that take place as part of the introductory week for new students. This week, which runs from October 6th to 10th, offers a wide range of topics and formats.

The highlight of the week will be the get-together for new students, which will take place on Monday, October 6th, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Kleist Forum. Mayor Claus Junghanns and Viadrina Vice President Janine Nuyken will officially welcome the participants. The event will be moderated by the well-known slam poet Ken Yamamoto.

Event on the history of German occupation

On Tuesday, October 7th, at 6 p.m., a panel discussion about the German occupation of Poland will take place in the lodge house. The focus is on the new “Handbook of German Occupation History in Poland”. The two editors, Prof. Dr. Stephan Lehnstaedt and Prof. Dr. Paweł Machcewicz, will lead the discussion, which will be interpreted into Polish.

Parallel to the discussion, the exhibition “Some Were Neighbors” will be presented, which deals with the Holocaust and the role of ordinary people. This exhibition is being shown for the first time in the German-Polish border region and asks visitors to reflect on the central question: How was the Holocaust possible? The exhibition also addresses collaboration and complicity during National Socialism, highlighting factors such as fear, indifference and peer pressure.

Education and enlightenment in focus

The role of education in this context should not be underestimated. The Federal Agency for Civic Education deals intensively with the topic and sees educating people about National Socialism as an important social task. These initiatives aim to raise awareness of historical atrocities and provide knowledge about the Holocaust.

The investigation into the effects of the television series “Holocaust” describes that the discussion about the topic of National Socialism was initiated and interest in further information was aroused. There were over 105,000 requests for accompanying material and 51% of those surveyed gained new insights from the broadcast. This shows that coming to terms with the past is not only a deciding factor for individual memory, but also an important prerequisite for responsible social discussion.