“‘Reconciliation’ is a utopia that people gear their actions toward, which makes it relevant as a multilayered human phenomenon,” says Professor Hans-Georg Soeffner from the University of Bonn, who helped to organize the event. “Although the concept plays a prominent role in cultures shaped by Judaism and Christianity, other cultures recognize equivalent processes of conflict resolution or transformation.” And these forms and practices of conflict resolution will be as much up for debate at the event as the Jewish, Christian or Islamic understanding.
Participants will have the opportunity to engage in discussion with an incredibly wide range of experts on what “reconciliation” can mean within the context of their work. They will include Professor Dr. Anna-Katharina Hornidge (German Development Institute), Professor Andreas Nachama (General Rabbinical Conference of Germany), Professor Volker Kronenberg (University of Bonn), Professor Jürgen Rüttgers (former state premier, University of Bonn), Professor Jochen Sautermeister (University of Bonn), Professor Mouhanad Khorchide (University of Münster), Susanne Talabardon (University of Bamberg), Constantin Goschler (Ruhr-University Bochum), Professor José Brunner (Tel Aviv University), Professor Takemitsu Morikawa (Keio University in Tokyo) and Professor Moshe Zimmermann (Hebrew University of Jerusalem).
Thus the event will bring together experts from a range of disciplines: philosophy; Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Islamic and Alevi theology; Latin American studies; history and art history; philosophy of law; sociology; and politics.
Interdisciplinary networking
The event is a collaboration between members of two Transdisciplinary Research Areas (TRAs)—Individuals, Institutions and Societies and Past Worlds and Modern Questions. Cultures Across Time and Space—and the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies Cluster of Excellence at the University of Bonn. An innovative focus area is currently being developed under this partnership.
Registration and program:
The online event entitled “Reconciliation in Theory and Practice—Dialogue Forum in the 2021/22 Winter Semester” will be held in German via Zoom every Wednesday from 6:15 to 7:45 pm.
Please email Esther Gardei (vforum@uni-bonn.de) to register. Participants will be sent their login details once they have registered.
November 3, 2021: Einführung und methodische Überlegungen zur interdisziplinären Versöhnungsforschung; Professor Hans Georg Soeffner (University of Bonn), Esther Gardei MA (University of Bonn)
November 10, 2021: Versöhnung im Spannungsfeld von Barmherzigkeit und Gerechtigkeit; Dean Professor Jochen Sautermeister (University of Bonn), Professor Mouhanad Khorchide (University of Münster)
November 24, 2021: Versöhnung in der Diaspora – Vergleiche; Professor Hüseyin Cicek (University of Vienna); Professor Moshe Zimmermann (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
December 1, 2021 (Dies Academicus): Versöhnung als Konflikttransformation; Professor Stephan Conermann (University of Bonn), Professor Anna-Katharina Hornidge (University of Bonn, German Development Institute)
December 8, 2021: Hannah Arendt – Versöhnung und Handlungsfähigkeit; Dr. Francesco Ferrari (Goethe University Frankfurt), Esther Gardei MA (University of Bonn)
December 15, 2021: Deutschland und Israel: Paradoxien der Annäherung; Professor Constantin Goschler (Ruhr-University Bochum), Professor José Brunner (Tel Aviv University)
December 22, 2021: Versöhnung durch Kunst?; Vice Rector Professor Birgit Ulrike Münch (University of Bonn), Assistant Professor Ulrike Saß (University of Bonn)
January 12, 2022: Versöhnung und Erinnerung; Professor Andreas Nachama (General Rabbinical Conference of Germany), Professor Benno Zabel (University of Bonn)
January 19, 2022: Versöhnung als Transformationsprozess individueller und kollektiver Konflikte in jüdischer und christlicher Tradition; Dean Professor Cornelia Richter (University of Bonn), Professor Susanne Talabardon (University of Bamberg)
January 26, 2022: Cultural Heritage, Trauma, Schulderkennung und Versöhnung; Professor Karoline Noack (University of Bonn), Professor Mareile Flitsch (University of Zurich)
February 2, 2022: Politiken der Versöhnung; Dean Professor Volker Kronenberg (University of Bonn), Professor Jürgen Rüttgers, former state premier and former federal minister (University of Bonn)