Never Again Peace

The 58th edition of steirischer herbst festival is inspired by Ernst Toller’s satirical play Nie wieder Friede (1934–36): on Mount Olympus, Napoleon and Francis of Assisi debate whether humanity prefers peace or war and send a cryptic declaration of war to mountainous Dunkelstein. Immediately, the population remembers an obscure “hereditary enemy” and mobilizes against foreigners.

In English, Toller’s play is usually staged as No More Peace. This title does not capture the intensity of the original and its reversal of the popular interwar slogan “Nie wieder Krieg.” Nie wieder means “never again,” the phrase chanted by Buchenwald survivors shortly after the camp’s liberation.

Toller’s indictment of Europe as it fell under the spell of fascism could not be more relevant today. Institutions built to prevent the return of war and genocide are crumbling. Given the amount of bloodshed since 1945, “never again” rings hollow. Vladimir Putin’s Russia leads its bloody war of aggression while claiming to support peace, and the Israeli government uses the threat of a new Holocaust to continue the Gaza war indefinitely, fully extending it to the civilian population.

steirischer herbst’s home region of Styria somewhat resembles Toller’s Dunkelstein. After a stunning victory in the state elections, the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) is in power. To no one’s surprise, migrants and other minorities are targeted as cultural institutions and NGOs face funding cuts and anti-discrimination legislation is rolled back.

Historically, steirischer herbst opposed itself to lingering fascist tendencies in postwar Austria. Today, the Nazis’ political heirs are firmly established. With its new edition, the festival returns to its antifascist impulses, reactivates Toller’s title, and encourages artists to respond to the current moment, often by revisiting historical works.

steirischer herbst ’25 is curated by Ekaterina Degot, David Riff, Gábor Thury, and Pieternel Vermoortel, assisted by Beatrice Forchini, Tobias Ihl, and Lukas Michelitsch, and created by all participating artists, speakers, and partner institutions, as well as the festival’s whole team.