Finding Europe: re:publica Number Nine Was Colourful!

With 7000 guests and 850 speakers from nearly 60 countries, the re:publica in May 2015 was one of the top events for the European digital society. Its ninth edition was specifically taking a look at what’s new in the ‘Old World’ with its motto Finding Europe.

Europe is a continent, a form of cooperation and coexistence, a jumble of different cultures and languages, an alliance of interests, an idea. But where is the European digital society today?

At re:publica 2015, we explored the digital culture in Europe and the particulars of European net politics. We were convinced that an update of our views on the ‘old continent’ is worthwhile in many ways – not despite, but because of the diversity that it encompasses.

Statistics may inform us on how different European countries use the Internet, how they meet the challenges of the digital society or seize opportunities of the digital economy. But these are mere comparisons that hardly answer all those questions surrounding the “how” and “why”. Finding Europe looked into the peculiarities in all of these European nations. We serveed up a variety of dishes from the rich European cuisine, and let you get a taste of the specialties our neighbours have to offer – in a figurative as well as literal sense. We hope you enjoyed a re:publica that was international in every sense of the word, an exploration that of course did not stop at the European borders. As every year, we were inviting guests from all over the world to present their thoughts on stage and discuss them with you – not least because the view from outside is necessary to explore our own images of Europe. And you joined us in finding the new in the Old World, in Finding Europe! 

// photo credit: re:publica/Jan Zappner (CC BY-SA 2.0)