Do we have to think alike to be able to stand together? Or does democracy begin precisely where we can disagree – and still remain one society?
Sounds of Democracy: Unity takes place on 3 October, German Unity Day. The date commemorates the reunification of a country that had been divided for decades by a wall, two political systems, and different visions of the world. More than thirty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the question of unity feels relevant once again – and by no means only in Germany.
At KKC Hviezda, we will therefore bring together film, discussion, and music – from Good Bye, Lenin! and a discussion on whether we can still come together, to the raw energy of Czech duo P/ST and DJ sets by Modeselektor and Nina Pixel. Not to find one right answer, but to explore what can hold us together when we disagree on everything else.
The event is part of the Sounds of Democracy series, organised by Trenčín 2026 in cooperation with the Pohoda Festival. Admission is free.
PROGRAMME
17:00 – 19:00 Film screening: Good Bye, Lenin!
19:15 – 20:00 Discussion: Can We Still Come Together?
20:00 – 21:30 Concert: P/ST (CZ)
22:00 – 00:00 Modeselektor DJ set (DE)
Admission to the concert is free, but registration for the Modeselektor DJ set is required.
Registration for the Modeselektor DJ set expires 10 minutes before the event starts. Please arrive on time
00:00 – 01:30 Nina Pixel DJ set
Can We Still Come Together?
German Unity Day commemorates the moment when, after decades of division, two states, two political experiences, and two societies came together. German reunification became one of the symbols of the end of the Cold War and of the hope that a divided Europe could grow closer again.
More than three decades later, the question of unity has returned in a different context. European societies are facing growing polarisation, distrust in democratic institutions, nationalism, and new dividing lines – between East and West, cities and regions, and different groups within society.
What does it actually mean to unite a society? Is removing borders and changing the political system enough, or are different historical experiences passed down to future generations? And what can the story of German reunification and the democratic changes after 1989 tell us about Slovakia and Europe today?
Can We Still Come Together? is a discussion about historical memory, identity, and democracy – and about what brings societies together today and what, on the contrary, drives them apart.
Guests:
Miloslav Szabó – historian and German studies scholar. His work focuses on the modern history of Central Europe, nationalism, antisemitism, and the socio-political history of Slovakia and the German-speaking world. In the discussion, he will place German reunification in a broader historical context and help explore how experiences of the past continue to shape today’s social conflicts and divisions.
Samo Marec – journalist and translator. His work focuses on divided societies, polarisation, and the ways social media are changing how we communicate with one another. He is the author of Social Media Must Be Destroyed and will bring a contemporary, down-to-earth perspective to the discussion on why societies become divided even without walls and borders – and whether we can still find common ground.
Nina Vachaliková (Nina Pixel) – a Slovak musician and artist based in Berlin, she brings her personal experience of living between Slovak and German cultural environments, as well as a younger generation’s perspective on questions of identity, belonging, and social divisions. Her experience of living and creating in Berlin offers insight into how we perceive the boundaries between East and West today and what European unity means to the younger generation.
Moderator: Anna Jacková
Anna Jacková is a Slovak journalist and freelance reporter. Her work has long focused on migration, identity, human rights, and the position of vulnerable groups in society. She has reported, among other places, from the Polish-Belarusian border and the Slovak-Ukrainian border region following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. She currently coordinates communications for the One World International Documentary Film Festival. She studied journalism at Comenius University in Bratislava.
The discussion will be interpreted into English.
