Statement on verbal escalations in social media concerning the choice of music played at the Bergkirchweih beer festival in Erlangen in 2026
By signing the Erlangen Declaration for Diversity, Respect and Tolerance, we made our stance on the following clear: “We respect freedom of opinion within its rightful limitations. When there are differences of opinion we advocate for constructive, respectful dialog on equal terms.”
We have explicitly committed to respect, appreciation, and fair and respectful interaction. This attitude applies in particular when debates in society become controversial.
Irrespective of differences in opinion, we uphold our guiding principles: No-one may become the target of hatred, hostility or discriminating communication. This also applies in instances when people act to meet their legal or political obligations, for instance to promote gender equality.
We condemn all forms of disrespectful communication – both online and offline. In particular, a boundary is crossed whenever individual people are publicly named and shamed, offended or threatened. We draw the line at discriminating and inhuman behavior.
As a signatory of the declaration, we confirm that we will take a stance, shoulder our responsibility and raise our voices whenever respect, fairness and human dignity are questioned or violated – demonstrating our solidarity in a clear, objective manner.
- We stand for respectful and objective dialog.
- We condemn discriminating, degrading and intimidating communication.
- We refuse to tolerate hatred and personal attacks.
- We say NO to fake news and disinformation.
Appreciation, integrity and respect are not just buzzwords for us, instead they are our guiding principles. Especially in times when polarization and heated discussions are on the rise, we need people who take a clear stance and stand up for fairness and constructive dialog.
These are the values we share as signatories of the Erlangen Declaration for Diversity, Respect and Tolerance.