Freedom in today's world - an embattled idea
While people in authoritarian states are fighting for basic freedoms, democracies are debating what freedom even means: was it justified to restrict individual freedoms during the pandemic? Can climate policies dictate which heating systems or cars a person uses? Is a free society compatible with closed borders? Does self-interest take precedence over the common good – or is it the other way around?
In these debates, the term “freedom” is often invoked for opposing agendas. Even the seemingly unambiguous demands made by historical freedom movements, as well as the symbols they used, are now being appropriated by right-wing populist groups radically opposed to a free, liberal society.
To gain a better understanding of this convoluted conflict, the exhibition first looks to the past. Beginning with the quest for liberation in the major revolutions since the 18th century, the exhibition tells freedom’s unfinished story. Central to this narrative are the dissident movements in Poland, Czechoslovakia, and East Germany before and after 1989. How were they similar? How did they differ? And how do their ideals of freedom continue to resonate with us today?
This exhibition can be visited at the Deutsches-Hygiene-Museum Dresden from June 20 2025 until May 31 2026.
