„Alle Menschen werden Brüder"

In his Ode to Joy (1785), Friedrich Schiller unfolds dreamlike perspectives of the future; he sketches an alternative world in which justice, peace and freedom prevail and "all men [...] become brothers". Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony (1824) lends it a higher value, transfiguring its message – thanks to its structure, procedure and brilliant final effect – into an anthem that unites peoples and promises "a humanly possible Elysium", worldwide (according to Ernst Bloch). The 200th anniversary of its premiere is an occasion to remember its genesis and history of impact, as well as its highly topical appeal to stand up for the preservation of human dignity and for peace and freedom.