Franz Josef Strauss 110

“In strict compliance with the principle of subsidiarity”

Franz Josef Strauss 110

In the publication to celebrate Otto von Habsburg’s 75^th birthday, Franz Josef Strauss elaborated on the principle of subsidiarity, which was central to the Archduke’s political thinking, as well as to his own vision of European unity and a decentralised, free state.

This shared ideology is the guiding thread of the event, which will mark the 110^th anniversary of the birth of Franz Josef Strauss, highlighting the legacy of one of the most decisive figures in post-war German history and the close relationship of mutual respect between him and Otto von Habsburg. The two statesmen were ‘elective affinities’ in Weberian terms: Strauss recognised in Otto a partner who offered the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) an international, outward-looking, and historically grounded perspective, while the former crown prince valued Strauss as a dynamic politician, capable of translating conservative values and strategic foresight into concrete political action.

Taking this unique partnership as a point of departure, the conference seeks to explore key dimensions of conservative politics in Europe during the second half of the 20^th century, including post-war German politics, European integration, conservative values and transatlantic relations. Historians, politicians and Strauss’s past colleagues will contribute analysis and personal insights to a thorough and nuanced assessment of the former minister-president’s public activities.

Programme

9.00 – 9.15        Welcoming address

Gergely Prőhle, Director, Otto von Habsburg Foundation, Programme Director, John Lukacs Institute

9.15 – 9.25        Opening remarks

Gergely Gulyás, Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office

9.25 – 9.45       Keynote speech

Horst Möller, historian and university professor, renowned expert on modern and contemporary history

9.45 – 11.00      Work and Impact – A Historical Overview

Vanessa Conze, Professor of Modern and Contemporary History, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt

Marco Gerhard Schinze-Gerber, author specialising in 20^th-century political history with a focus on Franz Josef Strauss

Nóra Szekér, Head of Research, Historical Archives of the Hungarian State Security

Moderated by Gergely Prőhle

11.00 – 11.30     Coffee break

11.30 – 13.00     From Bavaria to Europe to Global Politics – The Foreign Policy Horizons of Strauss

Thomas Leeb, Head of the Brussels Office, Hanns Seidel Foundation

Andreas Schmidt-Schweizer, Senior Research Fellow, ELTE Centre for Humanities, Institute for Historical Studies

Bence Kocsev, Research Fellow, Otto von Habsburg Foundation

Moderated by Frank-Lothar Kroll, historian and professor at Chemnitz University of Technology

13.00 – 14.00   Reception

14.00 – 15.30    Faces and Tales – Memories on Franz Josef Strauss

Peter Gauweiler, former Member of the German Bundestag (CSU) and Bavarian Minister of State

Klaus von Dohnányi, former Federal Minister and First Mayor of Hamburg (SPD)

Hans-Friedrich Freiherr von Solemacher, former Head of the Hanns Seidel Foundation’s Budapest Office

Fritz Goergen, publicist and former Federal Executive Director of the Free Democratic Party (FDP)

Moderated by Boris Kálnoky, former journalist for Die Welt, Head of the Media School at Mathias Corvinus Collegium

The conference will be held in German, with Hungarian and English simultaneous interpretation provided.

 We are looking forward to welcoming you!