18. Danube Salon

Bulgaria lies at the heart of Europe, yet remains surprisingly little known to many. Yet the country’s history reflects key experiences of the 20th century: war and dictatorship, communism and transformation, emigration, accession to the EU and the search for a European future.

The 18th Danube Salon focuses on Bulgaria – historically, politically and literarily. To begin with, historian Ulf Brunnbauer will give a brief introduction to the country’s history and its development up to the present day. He will then speak with the multi-award-winning writer Dimitré Dinev about memory, identity, social upheavals and the question of how the past shapes the present.

Dinev’s latest novel A Time for the Braveserves as a literary echo chamber: it tells the stories of people who experience war, violence, dictatorship and political upheaval – yet still strive to preserve their dignity, hope and humanity. This gives rise to a conversation about Bulgaria, Europe and the stories that are often under-represented in the West.

There will also be plenty to enjoy in terms of both culture and cuisine.

The Danube Salon is a joint event organised by: the Danube Office Ulm/Neu-Ulm, the Baden-Württemberg State Agency for Political Education, the Cultural Officer for South-Eastern Europe at the DZM, the Danube-Swabian Central Museum, the European Danube Academy (EDA), the City of Ulm’s Equal Opportunities and Diversity Team, the Ulm Adult Education Centre, the European education network DANET e.V., the Institute for Virtual and Real Learning in Adult Education at the University of Ulm e.V. (ILEU) and the Centre for General Academic Continuing Education (ZAWiW).