Annual Themes

The Bundeskanzler-Willy-Brandt-Stiftung’s annual program for 2025 is based on the motto “Courage”. In a time marked by crises, in which attempts to make political capital out of fearmongering are the order of the day, the foundation is putting courage and encouragement for democratic participation and social engagement at the center of its work.

“It takes courage to work for a better future even in uncertain times. Willy Brandt’s life shows us how crucial courageous action is for democracy and peace. With our program we would like to encourage people to live this courage in the present,” says Wolfram Hoppenstedt, Managing Director of the Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt Foundation.

In the coming year, the Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt Foundation will offer numerous events on the topic of “courage” in the past and present, including historical milestones such as the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War or the 50th anniversary of the CSCE Final Act Take up Helsinki. With lectures, discussion formats and educational offerings in Berlin, Lübeck and Unkel, the Foundation will emphasize courage as an important basis for peaceful and democratic coexistence and make it tangible.

The program is accompanied digitally and on social media with the hashtag #WillyMachtMut, under which we want to make Willy Brandt’s values ​​and work visible and fruitful for the present: defend democracy, act courageously and shape the future sustainably.

As part of the anniversary program for Willy Brandt’s chancellorship (1969–1974), we not only remembered outstanding achievements and successes, but also subjected Brandt’s reign to a historical and critical examination. Each anniversary year had a theme. This represented a focus of the “Brandt era” and at the same time referred to current and future problems. These annual themes were: Democracy (2019), Peace (2020), Renewal (2021), Participation (2022), Europe (2023) and Crises (2024).