On Friday, September 26, PRIF opened its doors to celebrate its new location in Frankfurt-Sachsenhausen. In addition to numerous guests from academia, business, and civil society, the President of the Hessian State Parliament, Astrid Wallmann, Minister of State for Science and Research, Art, and Culture of the State of Hesse, Timon Gremmels, and City Councilor Dr. Bernd Heidenreich, representing Frankfurt's Mayor, attended the event. The move gives PRIF a new home that better meets the needs of the institute, which now has 110 employees, compared to its previous premises on Baseler Platz.
Executive Director Nicole Deitelhoff thanked the state of Hesse for its reliable and continuous support of research work, which is particularly important in the face of current international power shifts and crises within many countries.
Astrid Wallmann also highlighted PRIF's expertise in her welcoming address and emphasized its value for politics and the public. Minister of State Timon Gremmels likewise emphasized the high regard in which the Institute is held by the State of Hesse. The state is not only financing the move to the new facilities, but also the refurbishment of Germany's largest specialist library in the field of peace and conflict research. For the newly occupied premises on Darmstädter Landstraße, City Councilor Dr. Bernd Heidenreich also wished PRIF all the best and the continuation of its stimulating research activities. He praised the institute as an important link between science, society, and politics and as a catalyst for political debates on security policy and democracy.
The welcoming remarks and keynote speech, “The Double Challenge of Polarization,” by Deputy Director Christopher Daase were accompanied by jazz musicians Dennis Sekretarev, Marko Vaccaroni, and Nikolai Qlshansky. Afterwards, guests had the opportunity to take a tour of the new offices and round off the evening with lively conversations. A special highlight of the evening was the PRIF museum in front of the library, which displayed exhibits from the institute's 55-year history.
