Freedom Square — Ahmet Öğüt

Freedom Square

2025

ceremonial intervention.
commissioned by steirischer herbst.

photo: steirischer herbst / Daniel Kindler

Renaming of Freedom Square to Freedom Square. Freedom Square is a ceremonial intervention. Formerly Franzensplatz, has been renamed Freedom Square in 1938 by the Nazi occupation. We no longer have to live with the 1938 version of freedom! Throughout history, right-wing extremists have often twisted words like freedom, which once stood for justice, equality, and liberation, for their own purposes. Currently in the world there are many Far-right, nationalist, and anti-immigration political parties hijacking the word freedom: Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), The Party for Freedom (PVV), in the Netherlands, Switzerland’s Freedom Party (FPS) In the Czech Republic, Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) in Slovakia, Albania’s Freedom Party (PL), in the United States, the Freedom Caucus, a far-right congressional group within the Republican Party, Canada’s Ontario Freedom Party and in Australia, the Freedom Party of Victoria. Reclaiming freedom today is therefore not just a symbolic act; it is urgently necessary. Freedom must be redefined in solidarity with those who are still fighting for freedom. Lawyer Dr. Rahim Rastegar, witnessed the name change legally, as well as Ekaterina Degot Artistic Director and Chief Curator steirischer herbst.

Ekaterina Degot’s speech

Dear journalists, dear colleagues, dear guests,

I am delighted to open one of the first events of steirischer herbst ’25, a project by artist Ahmet Öğüt, inaugurated today in the presence of lawyer Rahim Rastegar. I am pleased to introduce both of them to you.

The project gives Freiheitsplatz (Freedom Square) a new name, which is not the first time this has happened.

Today, we are standing in a very quiet square that was once a highly political project. It is one of the few artificially created squares in Graz, unlike Hauptplatz (the main square), for example, which grew organically. Created in the first half of the 19th century, Franzensplatz, with its radical geometric shape in the middle of the still medieval city, was a political statement about the Habsburgs, the order they brought, and the bourgeois institutions located here—a theater, a university, a monument.

In this role as a stage for bourgeois society, the square experienced its greatest historical moment—the proclamation of the republic on 12 November 1918. Two days later, the square was renamed Freiheitsplatz. “Subjects become free citizens of a free state.”

As we all know, history then took a few steps backward, and in 1934 the square was renamed Franzensplatz again. But—even more strangely—the last renaming, after the Anschluss, returned the name Freiheitsplatz to the square, which we use today without considering that this name belongs to the Stadt der Volkserhebung (City of the Popular Uprising).

How can that be? Surely, the Nazi era should stand for the absence of freedom rather than for freedom. (Otherwise we would not be talking about “liberation” from the Nazis.)

This is not the only time we see how easily the word “freedom” can be perverted—as a motto for more security, for example, which means more weapons in private households. Or as a name for political parties and projects that position liberté against égalité, and where fraternité takes on sinister forms.

In modern times, freedom has always been defined in opposition to something. Against religion in the Enlightenment, against exploitation in Marxism, against monarchy in revolutions, against colonialism in anti-colonial movements.

But also, and perhaps most commonly today, against other social systems—against Communism during the Cold War or non-Western religions today. This freedom has become a very uncritical self-definition of the West, where freedom is reserved for the few, in contrast to groups and even entire countries that are supposedly not ready or unable to embrace freedom.

This leads Ahmet Öğüt to rename Freiheitsplatz to Freiheitsplatz. This conceptual renaming should make us all think about what kind of freedom we want for ourselves and everyone else.

At this point, I’m handing over to Ahmet Öğüt.

Ahmet Öğüt’s speech

Welcome to the ceremonial renaming of Freedom Square to Freedom Square. I would like to thank Dr. Rahim Rastegar, our lawyer, for witnessing this name change legally, as well as director and chief curator Ekaterina Degot and the team at steirischer herbst for making this ceremony possible.

As we know, Freedom Square, formerly Franzensplatz, has been renamed Freedom Square twice: in 1918 and 1938. Are we still living with the freedom of 1938?

Throughout history, right-wing extremists have often twisted words like freedom, which once stood for justice, equality, and liberation, for their own purposes. Currently, there are many far-right nationalists in the world hijacking the word “freedom.” Here I would like to mention a few examples:

Across various countries, numerous political groups incorporate “freedom” in their names while promoting a range of right-leaning, nationalist, or populist ideologies. In Austria, the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) is a far-right, nationalist, and anti-immigration party with a Euroskeptic stance. The Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Netherlands, founded by Geert Wilders, is similarly anti-immigration, anti-Islam, and Euroskeptic. Switzerland’s Freedom Party (FPS) was a nationalist, right-wing populist group. In the Czech Republic, Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) promotes nationalist, anti-immigration, and Euroskeptic views. Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) in Slovakia leans libertarian, combining economically right-wing policies with more centrist social positions. Albania’s Freedom Party (PL) follows a conservative, nationalist orientation. In the United States, the Freedom Caucus, a far-right congressional group within the Republican Party, exerts significant influence, though it is not a standalone party. Canada’s Freedom Party of Ontario claims to be founded on a blend of liberal and conservative principles. Meanwhile, in Australia, the Freedom Party of Victoria, a right-wing microparty, gained attention for endorsing the No vote during the 2023 Indigenous Voice referendum. Despite varied contexts, these groups often use the rhetoric of “freedom” to advance nationalist or conservative agendas.

Reclaiming freedom today is therefore not just a symbolic act; it is urgently necessary. Freedom must be redefined in solidarity with those who are still fighting for freedom. As Ekaterina Degot said: We want to free freedom from this occupation today.

We must ask ourselves:

What does freedom mean today, especially in Europe, where we see the rise of fascism, forced migration, and growing inequality?
Who is allowed to move freely?
Who is allowed to speak?
Who has the right to gather, to protest, to express an opinion—or simply to be visible in public?

What does it truly mean to reclaim freedom?

For us, freedom is not a narrative of nationalism, but something we share.
It is not about power over others, but about living together in peace.
It is not freedom for a few while others are excluded, but a freedom rooted in care, solidarity, and fairness for all.

In your presence, we register this as the first step toward liberating “freedom.”

Thank you for being witness to this act of redefinition.