Bayreuther Stadtgespräche
The Bayreuther Stadtgespräche have been taking place regularly at the Iwalewahaus since July 2014. Each first Wednesday of the month, from 6:00 to approximately 7:30 PM, different speakers provide insights into exciting and current topics. The lectures are open to all interested individuals without registration, and admission is free.
The main idea behind the Bayreuth City Talks is to strengthen the connection between the city and the university. Therefore, this series of events is aimed at all residents of Bayreuth.
The venue for the lectures is the Iwalewahaus, located in the heart of Bayreuth on Wölfelstraße, right next to the Margravial Opera House. The speakers come from the University of Bayreuth, other universities, research institutes, or from (higher education) politics. They address (higher education) political topics and discuss questions that currently concern the academic community and the citizens. This is done in an understandable manner, even for those who are not experts in the field or non-academics.
The lectures are organized by the University of Bayreuth in collaboration with the Universitätsverein Bayreuth e. V. and with the support of the University Forum Bayreuth - Collegium of Retired University Professors from Bayreuth.
Past Events
- July, 2023: The Colonial Bayreuth - Why It Still Concerns Us Today Hide
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Speakers: Dr. Cassandra Mark-Thiesen (African and Global Historian, University of Bayreuth), Prof. Dr. Stefan Ouma (Economic Geographer, University of Bayreuth), Florian André Unterburger (Historian B.A. and Initiator of the Industrial Museum Bayreuth (IMB) e.V.)
Bayreuth's industrial prosperity is deeply rooted in colonial economic activities - without cotton, sugarcane, or tobacco, the local industrialization would have taken a completely different course. However, instead of tracing the traces of these raw materials and critically examining the circumstances of their production, racist and colonial language and imagery persist in the public sphere. Through this simultaneous omission and devaluation of Black people, the colonial legacy of the city continues to exert its influence to this day. In this public discussion, Cassandra Mark-Thiesen, Stefan Ouma, and Florian André Unterburger embark on a search for traces, aiming to initiate an interdisciplinary exploration and examination of Colonial Bayreuth.
Link to the poster.