Detail view latches

At first glance, handles are relatively unspectacular objects. Yet they fulfill an incredibly important function that we would only become fully aware of if we suddenly had to do without handles. They are - in the truest sense of the word - door openers. All the doors in the world would remain closed if their handles were removed. The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation - to stay in the picture - also fulfills a door-opener function, albeit an intellectual one. For decades, it has been opening up new horizons of knowledge to interested parties - whether through publications, events, or scholarships and research projects - and thus making a contribution to a progressive society based on solidarity that can hardly be overestimated.

I myself have a long history with the RLS, and I always look back with pleasure on my time on the federal board, which I was a member of between 2010 and 2014. The undogmatic profile of the RLS and the intellectual appeal of letting seemingly contradictory arguments wrestle with each other still have a tremendous attraction for me today. The RLS must retain this quality at all costs, especially now, in a time of growing social polarization.

I am all the more pleased that the RLS will soon be able to move to a new refuge, as I myself worked for many years on the success of this long-term plan and am still very much aware of the various problems and challenges that such a mammoth project presents to all those involved. The new location near the East Side Gallery is noteworthy for several reasons, as it reflects the eventful history in which thinking that claims the rubric "socialist" for itself was involved in the 20th century. All this makes me personally look to the future with humility, but at the same time with hope. Let us never forget that we are also responsible for our thoughts and that the primary goal of the foundation's work must be to educate people to become mature, solidary and democratic citizens.

For this great task, I wish the entire house - the full-time and honorary staff, the speakers, the board and all employees - all the best from the bottom of my heart!

Bodo Ramelow
Erfurt, August 4, 2020