inter arma silent musae – under arms the muses are silent, as the German art historian Wilhelm von Bode put it in reference to Cicero during the First World War. And indeed, the current war in the European neighborhood silenced us. We felt powerless, helpless, speechless. And yet, and precisely because of this, in mid-March 2022 globale°, together with the Theater Bremen, the Bremer Shakespeare Company and the Bremer Literaturhaus, invited guests to the first event under the title “Wort ergreifen!”; others were to follow. The program included texts by contemporary authors from Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine, such as Viktor Martinovich or Serhij Shadan, who is holding out in besieged Kharkiv, tweeting, and very rightly being awarded this year’s Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. In addition, references to older books. For war and violence have determined life in the global world not only since February 24, 2022. Imperial power claims, colonial past, discrimination – all this is reflected in our present. All of this will be exemplified at this year’s globale°. Our motto in 2022 is “Together”. We are convinced that only solidarity, cohesion and a sense of community can carry us, our culture and our society forward. With this in mind, we wish you inspiration and encouragement at globale° 2022.