Wörter Schlafen Nicht (Words Don't Sleep). They shape perceptions, create contexts, set priorities, inspire hope, or stir fear. A single word can alter an entire legal offense; a single statement can cause a stock price to plummet. Words shape societal and political discourse; the way we linguistically engage with the past, and the conceptual and media-based processing of history and identity.

 

Participants were invited to weigh words carefully. Framed by an introductory lecture and performances, six pairs—each consisting of a writer and a figure from science or politics—presented essays on self-chosen terms and debated the significance of language over the course of two evenings.