The Protestant Superintendent for Carinthia and East Tyrol, Manfred Sauer, explained the history of the origin of Denk.Raum.Fresach during the first meeting of the Board. Even the official Carinthian Exhibition 2011 on “Remain credible – 500 Years of Protestant adventure” was initiated and based on the idea to establish a forum for dialogue devoted to the topics of tolerance and integration in Fresach. The idea was filled with content by a concept of the creative team Gruber | Nageler | Seywald which got spontaneous plenty consent. “Denk.Raum.Fresach – European Tolerance Center” received positive feedback within the bodies of Evang. Superintendency and from many other organizations, especially by the mayor of the city of Villach, the Board of Infineon, the Rectorate of the University of Klagenfurt and the Austrian PEN Club. As a result, the initiators Gruber|Nageler|Seywald and Sauer|Schaumberger|Seyfried as representatives of the Protestant Church and Evang. Diocesan Museum Fresach founded the Association for Tolerance and Integration in Europe. As part of the development the founders came up with a proposal to install an accompanying board of trustees that shall be constituted from many different personalities of public life. The Board of Trustees now has the task to address recognized personalities and attract them to the European Tolerance Talks, think along and help. When searching for a leader with charisma, the initiators were quickly successful. Within his first conversation with Hilde Schaumberger and Manfred Sauer > Hannes Swoboda confirmed his readiness to take over the function of the Presidency and thus to act as ambassador of tolerance to the public. The founders also care for the financing of the initial phase. The city of Villach promised as the first partner a financial contribution for three years. (ws)
