Pan-European Peace Forum in Augsburg
On the occasion of the High Peace Festival of Augsburg, the first international Pan-European Peace Forum, entitled “Europe as a Peace Power – Pacifism as Realpolitik”, was held on Thursday, 6 August 2026, at the Augustana Hall in Augsburg.
The Pan-European Peace Forum was organised by the Bavarian Regional Association of the Pan-European Union of Germany, under the organisational leadership of Kathi-Marie Ulrich, Secretary General of the Bavarian Regional Association of the Pan-European Union.
The high-level international forum brought together numerous members and supporters of the Pan-European movement from across Germany, as well as guests from several European countries. The event was moderated by Dr Dirk Voß, Chairman of the Pan-European Union of Germany and International Vice-President of the Pan-European Union.
The Lord Mayor of Augsburg, Dr Florian Freund, spoke in his substantive welcoming address about the history of the Pan-European Union in Germany. In particular, he paid tribute to the achievements of its first Federal Chairman, Paul Löbe.
In his welcoming remarks, the Bishop of Augsburg, His Excellency Dr Bertram Meier, placed the Christian message of peace at the centre of his address. He also referred to the special tradition of the High Peace Festival of the former Free Imperial City of Augsburg, which has been celebrated since the end of the Thirty Years’ War and commemorates religious peace between Protestant and Catholic Christians.
The subsequent panel discussion featured as guest speakers the International President of the Pan-European Union, Prof. Dr Pavo Barišić; the President of the Pan-European Union of Ukraine, Prof. Dr Ihor Zhaloba; and Stephan Baier, journalist and Europe and Foreign Affairs Editor of the newspaper Die Tagespost.
At the centre of the discussion were the questions of how and why wars arise, what personal experiences the guest speakers had of war, and what role Europe must assume as a power for peace.
The discussion also addressed Europe’s responsibility for security and the question of how Pan-European peace policy can be rethought as a political stance in the context of current international conflicts.
Programme (DE) (PDF)