Discourse on the Foundation for Peaceful Revolution Podcast: Identity of "We the People" Revealed
In the heart of Greifswald, St. Spiritus played host to a thought-provoking discussion, as the Eastern Women's Salon, a cultural and intellectual forum, gathered for a live podcast recording in June. The podcast, titled "Wir sind das Volk," is produced by journalists Bjoern Menzel and Pierre Gehmlich for the Leipzig Foundation for a Peaceful Revolution.
This particular episode focused on the topic of identity, particularly among women in Eastern Germany. Guests Isa Gruetering, the initiator of the Eastern Women's Salon, and Marie Möller, head of the HG Women network in Greifswald, shared their perspectives on what it means to define oneself as an Eastern woman in the region.
The Eastern Women's Salon, conceived by Isa Gruetering in 2024, aims to provide a platform for women from Eastern backgrounds to connect, share experiences, and engage in discussions on topics relevant to their lives. By challenging stereotypes, promoting visibility, and empowering women to take active roles in shaping their societies, the Salon seeks to foster empowerment, community building, and cultural exchange.
The discussion in the podcast is timely, as it is connected to 35 years of German unity and its impact on questions of identification, disadvantages, location, and the will to assert oneself in society.
Looking ahead, the Eastern Women's Salon has exciting plans. Live podcast recordings are scheduled for August 27 in Nordhausen at the city library, August 29 in Freiberg, and September 23 in Cottbus at the human rights center.
Meanwhile, in Leipzig, a national freedom and unity monument is being created, with the implementation of the winning design planned for October 2025. The international artistic competition for the monument's design started in March 2024 and ended in October 2024. The project is funded by the Federal Commissioner for Culture and Media, the Saxon Ministry of Science, Culture and Tourism, and the city of Leipzig. The measure is co-financed by tax funds based on the budget adopted by the Saxon State Parliament, with a political basis rooted in two resolutions of the German Bundestag.
As the Eastern Women's Salon continues to shine a light on the experiences and identities of women in Eastern Germany, and as the freedom and unity monument takes shape in Leipzig, these initiatives serve as reminders of the ongoing dialogue and progress in understanding and celebrating diversity in modern Germany.
To listen to the current episode of the Eastern Women's Salon podcast, visit [the current episode link]. New episodes are released every month, for free and everywhere podcasts are available.
Discussions at the Eastern Women's Salon, such as the latest one on identity, extend beyond the heart of Greifswald to topics like fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, and relationships – areas that significantly impact a woman's lifestyle. As the Salon strides ahead with live recordings in cities like Nordhausen, Freiberg, and Cottbus, it aims to foster a sense of community and exchange insights on these aspects. Meanwhile, the upcoming national freedom and unity monument in Leipzig, a symbol of cultural integration, efforts to eradicate stereotypes, and promoting diversity, mirrors the Salon's objectives in its own unique way.
