Anne Applebaum Will Urge Resolve at Vienna's Judenplatz
At a time when the global order is crumbling and authoritarian models are gaining ground worldwide, the world’s eyes are on Vienna. On May 13, 2026, renowned historian and Pulitzer Prize winner Anne Applebaum will deliver the “Address to Europe.” Her topic: “The European Moment”—the moment that could determine whether the “Old Continent” can once again become a moral and political force for good.
Anne Applebaum is a distinguished American-Polish journalist and historian notable for her contributions to Eastern European history and winner of the Pulitzer Prize 2004 and the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade 2024. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / Mateusz Skwarczek / CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en)
It is a place steeped in history, the perfect setting for a speech examining it. Vienna’s Judenplatz, a stark reminder of the darkest chapters in European history, once again serves as the stage for this year’s “Speech to Europe.” The choice of speaker could hardly be more fitting: Anne Applebaum, who, like few other intellectuals, has analyzed the mechanisms of totalitarianism and the creeping decline of democratic values.
A Turning Point in History
Under the title “The European Moment,” Applebaum puts forward a provocative thesis: This is Europe’s moment—yet Europeans themselves have not yet realized it. While oppression and authoritarian control were long considered anomalies of the West that had been overcome, they are now once again being discussed as serious alternatives for governance.
In her speech, Applebaum will explore the question of whether, in the face of a crumbling world order, Europe is capable of serving as a credible alternative to the rise of backward-looking ideologies. In doing so, she draws on her profound knowledge of 20th-century history to point the way forward.
Who is Anne Applebaum?
The American-Polish historian is one of the most prominent voices of our time. She writes for The Atlantic and teaches at the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University. She gained worldwide fame through her seminal works on the Soviet Gulag (Pulitzer Prize 2004) and the destruction of Eastern Europe after 1944.
In her latest bestsellers, such as Twilight of Democracy and Autocracy, Inc., she urgently warns of how modern dictators are networking globally to undermine democratic institutions. According to Applebaum, not only the future of the continent but the fate of the liberal world depends on the answers Europe finds now.
A Tradition of Reflection
The “Address to Europe” was initiated by the ERSTE Foundation in 2019. Applebaum follows in the footsteps of prominent thinkers:
Past Highlights: Speech to Europe
- 2019: Timothy Snyder called for an end to the myths of "innocent nation-states."
- 2023: Ukrainian human rights activist Oleksandra Matviichuk spoke on "No Peace without Freedom."
- 2024 & 2025: Omri Boehm and Lea Ypi analyzed the legacy of colonialism and the crisis of international solidarity.
Event Details
The event is a collaboration between the Vienna Festival, the ERSTE Foundation, the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM), and the Jewish Museum Vienna.
Date: May 13, 2026, 6:00 PM
Location: Judenplatz, Vienna (Open-Air)
Admission: Free of charge
Language: English (Live stream available)
In an era when democracy is under pressure worldwide, Applebaum’s analysis promises to serve as a necessary wake-up call for a Europe in turmoil.