News Archive

In Search of Future Proof Ethics [2]

The "Frankfurt Future Symposium" explored the opportunities and risks of new technologies

2016/11/02

"Our ethical-political systems are far behind technological development," explained philosopher Michael Schmidt-Salomon in his introduction to the "Frankfurter Zukunfts-Symposium", which was held last weekend by the Ethikverband der Deutschen Wirtschaft and the Giordano Bruno Stiftung. For this reason, the two organisations decided to create a network that aims to develop "rational standards for assessing the opportunities and risks of new technologies".

A Free-Spirited Musician [3]

Eulogy to Gerhard Wimberger

2016/10/17

Gerhard Wimberger is dead. The Austrian composer ("Passion Giordano Bruno"), who conducted the Salzburg Festival with Herbert von Karajan for two decades, died last Thursday at the age of 93. A eulogy by Michael Schmidt-Salomon.

The Courage to Walk Upright [4]

Raif Badawi and Ensaf Haidar have been awarded the Deschner Prize of the Giordano Bruno Stiftung in Frankfurt

2016/04/25

The blogger Raif Badawi, sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in Saudi Arabia and 1,000 blows with a stick, and his wife, human rights activist Ensaf Haidar, were awarded the Deschner Prize of the Giordano Bruno Stiftung (gbs) last Saturday in a moving ceremony at the German National Library in Frankfurt. Badawi and Haidar received the prize worth 10,000 euro for their "mutual, courageous and self-sacrificing commitment to secularism, liberalism and human rights".

"Who Betrayed Böhmermann? Christian Democrats!" [5]

Giordano-Bruno-Stiftung kritisiert die Zulassung der Strafverfolgung als "Kniefall vor einem Despoten"

2016/04/15

Michael Schmidt-Salomon, spokesman of the Giordano Bruno Foundation, criticized the German government's decision to allow criminal prosecution against Jan Böhmermann on the basis of §103 of the German Criminal Code (StGB) as "kneeling before a despot" who "in his own country utilizes the traditional criminal offence of lèse-majesty to eliminate political opponents".

"IS Doesn't Need a Reason to Kill Us!" [6]

Jacques Tilly's appeal to defend the "liberal dream"

2016/02/01

Illustrator and carnival carriage builder Jacques Tilly (trustee of the Giordano Bruno Stiftung) was awarded the Jan Wellem Ring by the City of Düsseldorf last Thursday for his cultural services. In his acceptance speech, Tilly, who made headlines last year with his "Charlie Hebdo Float", called for defending the open society with even more courage, humanity, and humour. Below, we document excerpts from this speech, which, as gbs spokesman Michael Schmidt-Salomon explained, "sums up the stance of the Giordano Bruno Stiftung on the debate about Islamism and xenophobia and clarifies the fundamental differences between rational enlightenment and reactionary propaganda".

Petition to Delete the "Blasphemy Section" Rejected [7]

Giordano Bruno Foundation criticizes argumentation of the German Bundestag

2015/12/16

The Petitions Committee of the German Bundestag has rejected the petition submitted by gbs spokesman Michael Schmidt-Salomon to delete the blasphemy section 166 of the German Criminal Code ("StGB"). "In view of the dominance of CDU/CSU representatives in the Petitions Committee, we expected this result," said Schmidt-Salomon. "Nevertheless, the argumentation in the explanatory statement is astonishingly out of touch with reality. The responsible authorities seem to completely ignore the fact that this reactionary section further motivates religious fundamentalists to threaten artists who are critical of their beliefs".

"An Exceptional Person" [8]

Giordano Bruno Stiftung mourns the death of physicist and cabaret artist Prof. Dr. Heinz Oberhummer

2015/11/25

He was the epitome of the mad (physics) professor: In the night from Monday to Tuesday, gbs adviser Prof. Dr. Heinz Oberhummer died, who has found international recognition not only as an astrophysicist, but also as a non-fiction author and cabaret artist. A eulogy by Michael Schmidt-Salomon.

Evolution Should Be Taught in Primary School [9]

Expert group calls for curricular changes and presents new teaching material

2015/11/03

More than 80 scientists, pedagogues, and philosophers passed a resolution last weekend calling for the inclusion of education on evolution in primary school curricula. In light of the "fundamental importance of the understanding of evolution for the development of a contemporary worldview" it is "strange that children in primary schools learn so little about this topic" and evolution "is not taken into account in any state primary school curriculum in Germany," the resolution argues. After all, public schools should "not influence their students in accordance with a particular religion or belief, but give them access to central scientific knowledge".

"Secularism is the Solution - In the Refugee Dispute as Well!" [10]

gbs spokesman Michael Schmidt-Salomon takes a stand on the current refugee debate

2015/09/16

At the international conference "Give Peace A Chance: Säkularismus und globale Konflikte" ("Secularism and Global Conflicts") in May this year, Michael Schmidt-Salomon gave a lecture titled "Secularism is the Solution! - On religion and violence". Today's publication of the lecture text on the website of the Giordano Bruno Stiftung gave the gbs spokesman the opportunity to comment on the current debate on refugees.

A Gentle Kind of Enlightener [11]

Eulogy to Max Kruse, who not only gave Urmel to the world

2015/09/07

He descends from a famous family, his books were sold millions of times – and yet, Max Kruse remained modest all his life. Last Friday, Urmel inventor and gbs advisory board member Max Kruse died at the age of 93 in his hometown of Penzberg. Michael Schmidt-Salomon commemorates a good friend and foundation colleague.

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