Salzburg Festival 2025 Opens with Keynote by Anne Applebaum on Democracy, Power, and Global Challenges
(IN SHORT) Anne Applebaum, the renowned Polish-American historian and journalist, will deliver the keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 2025 Salzburg Festival. Her speech, titled “Democracy and the Music Festival,” will examine the challenges posed by authoritarianism and the erosion of democratic norms. Applebaum, known for her work on the Soviet Union and authoritarian regimes, will highlight the importance of civil society and artistic freedom. She will draw from her extensive body of work, including her Pulitzer Prize-winning Gulag: A History, to address the global political landscape and its implications for the future.
(PRESS RELEASE) SALZBURG, Austria, 2025-May-8 — /Travel PR News/ — The 2025 Salzburg Festival will kick off with a keynote address from Anne Applebaum, the Polish-American historian, journalist, and one of today’s most influential public intellectuals. Applebaum, known for her incisive commentary on the rise of authoritarianism and the decline of democratic norms, will deliver her address titled “Democracy and the Music Festival” at the opening ceremony on July 26, 2025, at the Felsenreitschule.
Her speech will engage with critical global issues, including the ideological shifts, democratic decline, and the increasing prominence of authoritarian regimes. Drawing from her vast expertise in European history and contemporary geopolitics, Applebaum will argue that civil society and artistic freedom remain fundamental pillars of human civilization, especially in these challenging times.
Markus Hinterhäuser, Artistic Director of the Salzburg Festival, expressed his enthusiasm: “Anne Applebaum is one of the sharpest minds addressing the rise of autocratic governance, both in the East and West. Her work offers vital insight into the global shifts we are witnessing today, making her the perfect voice to reflect on the pressing political and social questions of our time.”
Applebaum’s remarkable career spans decades of journalistic and scholarly achievements. She was present at the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and has since written extensively on the brutal legacy of the Soviet Union, the rise of anti-democratic politics, and the erosion of democratic institutions. Her award-winning books, including Gulag: A History, Iron Curtain: The Crushing of Eastern Europe, and Twilight of Democracy, have earned her widespread recognition. In 2024, she received the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, adding to her already impressive list of accolades.
In her recent book Autocracy, Inc., Applebaum delves into the workings of authoritarian alliances, examining how they seek to undermine democratic forces globally. This theme builds on her earlier work in Iron Curtain, where she analyzed the Stalinist period and the history of Eastern Europe under Soviet control. Applebaum’s historical analysis underscores how nations must understand their past destruction before rebuilding their institutions.
Applebaum has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Gulag: A History, the Duff Cooper Prize for Red Famine: Stalin’s War on Ukraine, and the Lionel Gelber Prize. She is a Senior Fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and has been a frequent contributor to leading publications such as The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, and The New York Review of Books. Her writing continues to shape global discussions on authoritarianism, democracy, and international relations.
Applebaum’s career has also been marked by her role as a journalist covering significant historical moments, including the fall of communism in Eastern Europe. She currently writes for The Atlantic and is a former columnist for The Washington Post. She holds degrees from Yale University, the London School of Economics, and St Antony’s College, Oxford.
The Salzburg Festival in 2025 will focus on the themes of power and history, reflecting on the legacies that have shaped Europe and its future. With the world facing a crisis of geopolitical change, Applebaum’s address will offer crucial insights into the intersection of culture, democracy, and global politics.
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SOURCE: Salzburg Festival
