Minister of Culture: Books are the heart of democracy!
Minister of Culture: Books are the heart of democracy!
The Frankfurt Book Fair has started and Minister of Culture Claudia Roth (Greens) used the event to emphasize the indispensable role of books for freedom and democracy. During her appearance, she left no doubt that books enable us to be mature citizens who can actively participate in society. "They promote self -determination and a harmonious coexistence in diversity and respect for our differences. In times of cultural struggle, this is urgently necessary," she said.
Roth illustrated the threat that books are exposed to today. The fact that in Ukraine books are burned by Russian aggressors that aim to exploit the Ukrainian culture in Ukraine. In addition, she referred to the suppression of authors in countries such as Russia, Iran and China, where books are prohibited and creative voices were restricted. Watching these tendencies is not only a global, but also a European problem.
Fears in Europe
In addition to the global challenges, Roth also showed that worrying developments can be observed in Europe. Some booksellers and librarians report that anti -democratic forces are trying to control the content of their shop windows and stocks. "We shouldn't allow that," says Roth. It is simple for them: democracy needs books that raise critical questions and open up new perspectives. "Subversive and critical books are essential drive forces that ensure the life and functioning of our democracies," she emphasized.Another important topic that Roth spoke in her speech is the positive effect of books on young people. An impressive example of this is the success of the cultural pass, a program that was launched last year. Over a million books have already been bought with the help of this passport, which makes it easier for young people access to cultural offers. Roth announced that the cultural pass will also be available in 2025.
The cultural pass was developed to promote those who turn 18 in the respective year. This enables you to receive grants of 100 euros for buying tickets for concerts, cinema, exhibitions, books or records. Such initiatives are important in order to arouse the interest of youth in culture and at the same time underline how significant access to literature and art is.
The Frankfurt Book Fair will initially be opened for trade visitors, but will also take place for the general public from Friday. This annual event offers an excellent forum to celebrate the diversity and value of literary works and to continue the urgent discussions about their role in society.
For further information on the developments about the book fair and the statements of Claudia Roth, See the report on www.onetz.de .
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| Ort | Frankfurt, Deutschland |
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