Freedom of speech is diversity, it is #MoreThanMyOpinion

With this, Peter Fischer, President of Eintracht Frankfurt e. V., expresses more than just his own opinion: "The Eintracht Frankfurt club and I as President stand up for the right to freedom of speech. It is the basis of our daily interaction and our democracy. But we also stand very clearly against people who confuse hatred with freedom of speech. We have to be sensitive when it comes to freedom of speech. If people derive hatred and misanthropy from it, then our opinion must be stronger," says Peter Fischer.

With his opinion and his billboard, the Eintracht president is representative of 13 personalities from the worlds of sport, society, art, music and literature who, with their faces and their strong, independent opinions, stand up for a lively culture of debate. The billboards are part of a campaign that, thanks to Ströer's generous support, will be seen at 3,000 outdoor locations nationwide during Freedom of Speech Week.

Ströer supports campaign week with 3,000 outdoor locations

"As one of Germany's leading outdoor advertisers, Ströer is aware of its socio-political responsibility and supports the campaign for Freedom of Speech Week. From Freedom of the Press Day on May 3 to Book Burning Day on May 10, 2021, the billboards will be visible at traffic hubs and public transport stops in major German cities. We are thus creating nationwide coverage for the currently very important topics such as freedom of speech and the culture of open debate," says Alexander Stotz, CEO Ströer Media Deutschland GmbH.

Alexander Skipis, Managing Director of Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels e. V., is delighted about this support: "With the Freedom of Speech Week, we want to take responsibility for a free, democratic and diverse society. Freedom of speech is a cornerstone of democracy and a necessary part of the opinion-forming process. However, extreme opinions, disinformation, threats and incitement against individual population groups or persons are increasingly damaging democratic discourse. Hand in hand with institutions and civil society, we want to use Freedom of Speech Week to create occasions for speech, shape resonant spaces for current discourse and promote unprejudiced debate in all areas of society." 

30 organizations and companies are the Alliance for Freedom of Speech

The German Publishers & Booksellers Association is the initiator of the Freedom of Speech Week, which will now focus public attention on the topic of freedom of speech with campaigns and (online) events on the same date every year. Around 30 organizations and companies, from Amnesty International to the Goethe Institute and Reporters Without Borders to Eintracht Frankfurt, have joined forces with the German Publishers & Booksellers Association to form an alliance for freedom of speech. The content is based on the Charter for Freedom of Speech, which citizens can also sign. The alliance is supported by the Frankfurter Agenturallianz - 14 creative people, most of whom are involved pro bono in Freedom of Speech Week.