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Democracies today have to do more than ever. In a world of geopolitical upheaval, authoritarian challenges and permanent crises, their decision-making ability and assertiveness come under pressure. The central question is: Can democratic systems remain free, resilient and capable of acting at the same time – or does their strength become a structural disadvantage in turbulent world politics?
It is precisely under these conditions that the conscious handling of history, experience and institutional knowledge becomes increasingly important. Archives play a central role in this: they preserve democratic memory, make political decisions and responsibility comprehensible and create transparency. In this way, they strengthen trust in institutions and enable learning from the past and orientation for future action. For 50 years, the Archive for Christian Democratic Politics of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation has fulfilled this task as a central documentation center for the history of Christian democracy in Germany, Europe and worldwide.
Under the title "Strong, free, capable of acting? Democracies in a troubled world", we will address these questions at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Day on 10.09.2026. In line with our motto "Together.Democracy.Shape", we make it clear that democracy is the basis for peace, freedom, security and prosperity – and that its strength also arises from the preservation and critical reflection of its historical foundation.
DAY OF KAS - YOUTH POLICY DAY
(by invitation only)
Agenda
09:00 – 10:00 Opening
Opening
Dr. Mark Speich
Secretary General of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
Opening panel
Our democracy - strong enough for this world?"
Diana Herbstreuth MdB (invited)
CDU/CSU parliamentary group
Veronika Wand-Danielsson
Ambassador of Sweden to the Federal Republic of Germany
Julieta Altieri
Head of the Operational Implementation of Public Measures to Combat Social Deprivation of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires
Moderation
Daniel Spliethoff
Journalist RTL Deutschland GmbH
DEMOCRACY LAB
10:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Democracy Lab
WORKSHOP I
"International law vs. the law of the strongest"
UN simulation game to make access to the United Nations tangible
Hanna Schönlau and Leonardo Pereira
German Association for the United Nations e.V.
Location: Forum of the Academy
EN/DE Translation
WORKSHOP II
"Conscription and resilience: How much obligation does a resilient society need?"
Presentation of a campaign for conscription in the Baltic States and the Nordic countries.
Toni Michel
Medical Volunteer Prevail Ukraine
Location: JKS Academy
EN
WORKSHOP III
"Democracies in the Stress Test: Latin America between
Pressure for reform and authoritarian tendencies"
Julieta Altieri
Head of the Operational Implementation of Public Measures to Combat Social Deprivation of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires
Location: Academy/Bernhard Vogel Hall
EN
12:30 – 13:15 LUNCH BREAK
1:15 – 2:15 p.m. Evaluation of the workshops
Location: Forum of the Academy
14:30 – 15:00 Award Ceremony
Photo competition "social cohesion"
More information at: https://gemeinsam-demokratie-gestalten.de/fotowettbewerb
TAG DER KAS
(open group of participants)
3:30 – 5:30 p.m. "History as a weapon? 50 Years Archive for Christian Democratic Politics"
15:30 – 16:00 Introduction
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer
Chairwoman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation
16:00 – 17:30 Panel discussion
Philipp Amthor, Member of the German Bundestag
Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Digital Affairs and State Modernisation
Prof. Dr. Ulrike Höroldt
Director of the Secret State Archive of Prussian Cultural Heritage, Berlin
Dr. Anke Giesen
Member of the Board of Directors of MEMORIAL Germany
Dr. Michael Borchard
Head of Scientific Services of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
Moderation
Dr. Christine Bach
Consultant Contemporary Historical Analyses
Scientific Services of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
Location: Forum of the Academy
6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Strong, Capable of Acting Freely: Democracies and the Power of the Civic Center
Welcome
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer
Chairwoman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation
Keynote
Jens Spahn MdB
Chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag
moderated discussion
Ágnes Forsthoffer
Speakers of the Hungarian Parliament
Jens Spahn
Chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag
Supplier Location: Forum of the Academy
DE/EN Translation
