To mark the 50th anniversary of the city of Warstein and as part of the local Art Summer, artist Oliver Schäfer presented his exhibition “Women & Democracy” in the Great Civic Hall of Warstein Town Hall.

The exhibition builds on Schäfer’s long-standing project Fearless Women, which has gained national attention throughout Germany. It features portraits of women who stand – or have stood – for democratic values through courage, integrity, and civic engagement. Their stories are a reminder that democracy is not a given, and that time and again it is women who courageously defend freedom, equality, and human rights.

Around 70 guests attended the official opening on July 9, 2025, which included speeches by Dr. Thomas Schöne (Mayor of Warstein), Bettina Kramer (Equal Opportunities Officer, District Working Group Soest), and Sylvia Lettmann (Equal Opportunities Officer, City of Warstein). The evening was accompanied by live music from the trio 3rd Harmony.

With this exhibition, Oliver Schäfer deliberately took a stand against current societal developments in which women’s rights and democratic values are increasingly under threat. In cooperation with the German Bundestag and the Federal Agency for Civic Education, more than 100 copies of the German Constitution were distributed free of charge to visitors, as a symbol of democratic cohesion and a reminder of what is worth standing up for.

Several new portraits created over the past year are also on view for the first time in Warstein.

The exhibition was open to the public until August 29, 2025, during the regular opening hours of the town hall.