Christmas in challenging times
Lecture by Dr Wolfgang Etschmann
On Thursday, 11 December 2025, the Freedom Party Educational Institute and the Liberal Club hosted a lecture evening at the House of Industry in Vienna. The focus was on the contribution by retired court councillor Prof. Dr Wolfgang Etschmann entitled ‘Tour d'Horizon on Christmas in challenging times’.
Taking a year of multiple crises as his starting point, the historian drew parallels with earlier eras and showed that, from a historical perspective, Christmas has often been marked by existential worries and social pressures. The historical review served not only to contextualise current challenges, but also as a reminder to political leaders to learn from the experiences of the past in order to avoid similar disasters in the future.
The evening was accompanied by Christmas music performed by the Austrian Armed Forces Guard Music Quartet and offered participants a reflective, historically grounded approach to current social issues.