Retrospective

November 14th & 15th 2025

Hope 2025

A classical autumn concert with the pianist Polina Kulikova and the clarinetist Ruzaliia Kasimova.

Since 2021, the Großschönau-based association Patrons of the Arts and Sciences e.V. has been hosting the now traditional “Hope” concert. In this year the concert will take place in the Johanniskirche Löbau cultural center. The concert begins at 7:00 p.m..
We kindly ask for advance reservation, ideally by November 1st, via info@the-patrons.eu or +49 174 915 1044, for capacity reasons.

Großschönau | Nov. 14, 2025, | Villa Hänsch, Bahnhofstr. 06 | Beginning at: 7:00 p.m.

Löbau | Nov. 15, 2025 | Kulturzentrum Johanniskirche, Johannisplatz 6/8 | Beginning at: 7:00 p.m.

With the support of:

August 18th, 2025

Foreign. Trust. New Beginnings.

Reading and Discussion with Dr. Alicia Hennig and Susanne Koelbl

Dr. Alicia Hennig has extensive professional experience in China, both in business and in academia, after having worked and conducted research for many years at leading Chinese universities. Her current research focus is at the intersection of business ethics and political science.

Susanne Koelbl is the founder of the literary dialogue project thepoetryproject.de.

The innovative educational program originally started in 2016 as a spontaneous citizen initiative. Meanwhile, over a thousand young people from Syria, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and other war countries have written there about their stories of flight and arrival.

Großschönau | Aug. 18, 2025 | Villa Hänsch, Bahnhofstr. 06 | Beginning at: 6:30 p.m.

With the support of:

February 7th, 2025

“The Eurasion Complex – Is the Future Slipping Away From the West?”

Public Discussion

In the event series on international topics that began in 2021, the non-profit association of patrons will host a book reading and discussion on the topic “Eurasia Complex” on February 7, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. in Villa Hänsch, Bahnhofstraße 6.
The two authors, Dr. Thomas Fasbender and Uwe Leuschner, published a book at the end of 2024 under the title “The Eurasia Complex – Why and How the West’s Future Is Slipping Away” with the Berlin-based Eulenspiegel Publishing Group. The title has received great attention due to its polarizing nature and the current geopolitical situation.

September 13th & 14th, 2024

Hope 2024

A virtuosic piano evening under the motto ‘Mozart Summer’ with the Swedish pianist Helge Antoni.

Since 2021, the Großschönau-based association of the Patrons of the Arts and Sciences e.V. has been organizing the now-traditional “Hope” concert. This year it will take place in the festival hall of the Sorbian Museum in Bautzen. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. For those interested, there is the opportunity for a guided tour of the interesting exhibition of the Sorbian Museum at 4:30 p.m.

Following upon the annual ‘Hope’ concert series which began in 2021 and has presented renowned artists such as Anna Agre, Alexander Kleonov, Benyamin Nuss and Aurelia Shimkuss, we will once again be able to experience a virtuosic piano evening. This year, the non-profit association has succeeded in attracting the internationally-known Swedish pianist Helge Antoni for a concert under the motto ‘Mozart Summer’.

Bautzen | Sept. 13, 2024, | Festsaal des Sorbischen Museums, Ortenburg 3 | Beginning at: 6:00 p.m.

Großschönau | Sept. 14, 2024, | Villa Hänsch, Bahnhofstr. 06 | Beginning at: 5:00 p.m.

With the support of:

March 14th, 2024

The day after / Der Tag danach

War and a turning point in Europe. The 3rd year

There were expert lectures and a subsequent audience discussion on the topic of the war in the Ukraine and perspectives for the time afterwards.

Speakers:
Hon.-Prof. Alexander Rahr
Eastern European historian and management consultant
Prof. Dr. Ruslan Grinberg
Director of the Institute for International Economy and Politics, Russian Academy of Sciences (RAN)
Prof. Dr. Eberhard Schneider
Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University Kaiserslautern-Landau and West-East Institute Berlin

Großschönau | Mar. 14, 2024, | Villa Hänsch, Bahnhofstr. 06 | Beginning at: 6:00 p.m.

November 10th & 11th, 2023

Hope 2023

An autumnal evening with Bach

Aurēlija Šimkus is the most well-known Latvian pianist and composer. She was awarded the Echo Klassik Prize in the category Best Young Artist for her second solo recording entitled “B-A-C-H. I Call to You.”
For our concerts in Zittau and Großschönau, she has rehearsed a special autumnal concert selection.

The pianist Daumants Liepiņš from Riga is one of the most exciting new talents in the piano world. After the release of his first solo album in 2020, critics described him as ‘sensitive, inventive, fully mastering the resources of his instrument, and effortlessly captivating the listener.’ The Vendome award-winner impresses with outstanding richness of sound.
Bürgersaal Rathaus/Town Hall Zittau | Nov. 10, 2023 | Markt 1 | Beginning at: 6:00 p.m.

Villa Hänsch | Nov. 11, 2023 | Bahnhofstr. 6, Großschönau | Beginning at: 5:00 p.m.

October 20th

Magical Musical Journey

A musical journey through Latin America

The latino, jazz and salsa group “Kinesis” will perform in Großschönau on October 20th.

The origin of the band lies in Cali, Colombia, the city where salsa has been merging with Cuban and Afro-Colombian music since the 1980s, and which is considered to be the salsa capital of the world. In the early 2000s, the band moved to Rome in Italy, where it has been performing regularly, functioning as ambassadors of South American music. Members of the group, which consists of both professionals and ambitious amateurs, come from “in and around” the World Food Organization FAO and are involved with agricultural technology.

The group Kinesis, with its outstanding, pleasant style, offers the entire diverse range of Latin music. Their stage show weaves musical rhythms such as Salsa Bolero, Cuban Son, Bachata, Merengue, Cumbia, Latin Jazz, and Blues. Currently, Kinesis has four musicians of different nationalities with 40 years of experience in the music business. The association Patrons of the Arts and Sciences e.V. is supporting the group’s travel and stay in Saxony and Eastern Germany. Additional concerts by the group are taking place, in for example Berlin and Dresden.

For the concert in Großschönau, the renowned singer Maria Angelica Puglisi will also perform. The motto of the event is “Magical Musical Journey through the Lands of Latin America.” Dr. Mauricio Rosales will accompany the journey with interesting content on the subject. The Oxford-trained agronomist and cattle breeder will convey the path of Latin music to our Lusatian audience in German.

October 5th, 2023

The Future of the Enlightenment

Lecture and discussion on the topic of intelligence services

Reiner Haunreiter will introduce the attendees to a world that otherwise remains hidden. The security expert and retired colonel is a distinguished connoisseur of military intelligence and the intelligence services.
Haunreiter spent many years abroad, among others in Afghanistan and the Russian Federation. He is a lecturer at the Technical University of Deggendorf for the degree program in Security Management, Criminal and Intelligence Psychology, as well as Corporate Security. In 2022 he published the well-received treatise “Shield and Sword 2.0” in the journal Eastern Europe, writing about Russia’s special services abroad. He has also been appointed expert to the Bundestag’s Enquete Commission to examine Germany’s Afghanistan mission. Privately, Reiner Haunreiter has been actively involved with the Malteser Relief Service for many years.
Together with the audience in the Zittau Mountains, we would like to discuss artificial intelligence and human incompetence in the news industry.

The event took place on October 5th from 7:00 PM at Villa Hänsch, Bahnhofstrasse 6 in Großschönau.

September 21st, 2023

China – Partners and Rivals

Along with our guests, we want to gain insights into the current situation in the People’s Republic of China and discuss them together. We plan to invite high-profile experts who have been dealing with the topic intensively and competently for years. After brief keynote speeches, an interactive discussion with the audience is to take place.

July 7th, 2023

Challenge of Transformation – Solutions in Times of Change

Seminar & Workshop

The trainers Stefan Hänsch and Felix Schultess are dedicating the whole day to the topic: How do we deal with changes in life.
Afterwards – come together in the park outside Villa Hänsch.

Hope 2022

At the beginning of July, the patrons were able to welcome Benyamin Nuss to a festive concert with classical music and his own works in the fully occupied festival hall of Bad Muskau Castle. The star pianist enchanted the guests in the World Heritage Site just as he did on the second day with jazzy rhythms alongside his father, the trombonist Ludwig Nuss, in Großschönau.

Whoever saves a life – saves the whole world
Commemorative project about German citizens who, during the time of National Socialism, committed themselves to the rescue of their persecuted Jewish fellow citizens. The exhibition, as part of the anniversary year ‘1700 Years of Jewish Life in Germany,’ included an intensive discussion event with school classes and survivors of the Nazi era from Eastern Europe.

Wer ein Leben rettet – rettet die ganze Welt

Erinnerungsprojekt über deutsche Bürger, die sich während der Zeit des Nationalsozialismus für die Rettung ihrer verfolgten jüdischen Mitbürger einsetzten. Die Ausstellung Im Rahmen des Festjahres „1700 Jahre jüdisches Leben in Deutschland“ beinhaltete eine intensive Diskussionsveranstaltung mit Schulklassen und Zeitzeugen aus Osteuropa.

Hope 2021

At our first major concert, the patrons were able to welcome over 130 guests to the newly-renovated Görlitz Synagogue. The pianist Alexander Kleonov, a student of Richter from Moscow, and the violinist Anna Agre from Israel, thrilled the audience with a fireworks display of classical music. The event was a welcome break during the difficult Covid period.

Dance with the Bear

“What’s next in Russia – and with Russia?” was the title of the discussion event in the fully-occupied Villa Hänsch. The two experts Alexander Rahr and Eberhard Schneider competently informed the interested participants about the current state of relations and the outlook for the next few years. The subsequent intensive discussion confirmed the great interest of the audience in the topic.