On May 15, an extraordinary evening took place at the Falkenhaus in Würzburg: “Zeit mit Persönlichkeit” (Time with Personality). Together with the city library, pics4peace e.V. invited guests to attend, and at the end, everyone agreed: “I'm going home enriched.”

The idea behind the format was simple and special at the same time: in 15 minutes each, the guests met four very different personalities – people with moving stories, unconventional views, and experiences that linger long after.

The diversity of the speakers was impressive: an elderly lady who started over again in retirement, a psychotherapist and theologian with a critical attitude toward his church, a young woman with personal connections to Israel during the war, an editor with a sense of humor despite tough topics, an actress who brings culture to rural areas, an environmental engineer with a passion for painting, a world cyclist who who raised awareness for a rare disease, a former businesswoman who now helps people live well, an expert in stress management for police and rescue workers, and a language teacher who has lived in Würzburg for decades but still cared for her mother in Uruguay.

The participants' reactions spoke for themselves:
“I never would have thought how much closeness could develop in such a short time,” said one participant. Another participant added: “Today, I really saw four people.”

In the second part of the evening, everyone came together in a relaxed atmosphere. Moderated by Dr. Pia Beckmann, they shared what they had experienced and felt—without masks, without expectations, without pressure. It was an evening of quiet, intense encounters.

What remains is the realization that encounters are possible if you create the space for them. Or, as Martha Maucher from the city library and Pia Beckmann from pics4peace put it:
“People are like books. They carry stories within them.”

On this evening, some of these stories were opened up – and new perspectives were made tangible.

More information about the project can be found at endlichankommen.info.

The accompanying podcasts “1,000 Experiences” are available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music.