In 2000, we launched our flagship event “Trafo Talks” (“Talk im Trafo”), at which every year a renowned guest speaker shares his or her thoughts on a fundamental topic with our guests at the Trafo Hall in Baden. The event seeks to embrace a theme that our high-caliber speaker can share with us in a way that brings breadth and depth to the topic and is not subjected to the staccato style of communication that has unfortunately become common in our daily routines.
By 2020, every January we have held a total of 21 events.
What started small in 2000 has grown over the years into a major event with over 800 invited guests from business, politics, culture and society.
We have brought a number of renowned speakers to Baden to share their thoughts on fundamental social issues with our guests.
In 2012, Joachim Gauch, shortly before he became the President of Germany, spoke on his life’s theme of “freedom”. In 2008, the then co-editor of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), Frank Schirrmacher, gave a speech on the “Century of Women”. In 2010, Mojib Latif presented us “Facts about the World Climate”. Marianne Gronemeyer taught us “the right way to deal with time” in 2005. The German philosopher Wilhelm Schmid gave a speech on “Serenity” in 2017, the Austrian genetics scientist Markus Hengstschläger on “Talent” in 2018, the Austrian psychiatrist Reinhard Haller on “Narcissism” in 2014. In January 2020, Linus Neumann, IT expert and speaker of the Chaos Computer Club, elaborated on the risks of “cyber crime”.
Shortly thereafter, the pandemic induced lockdown – not of the digital but of the real world – was unavoidable. For this reason, the “Trafo Talks” had to be skipped in 2021 and will not take place in 2022.
We are looking forward to reviving the event in a renewed form as soon as the pandemic allows.
Trafo Talks 2000–2020

cyber crime
Linus Neumann
2020

Universum
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Walter
2019

Talent
Prof. Dr. Markus Hengstschläger
2018

Gelassenheit
Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Schmid
2017

Zaatari – eine Stadt entsteht
Kilian Kleinschmidt
2016

Europa
Karel Schwarzenberg
2015

Narzissmus
Prof. Dr. Reinhard Haller
2014

Africa
Soiya Gecaga
2013

Freiheit
Joachim Gauck
2012

Vom Solo zur Sinfonie
Christian Gansch
2011

Weltklima: Fakten
Prof. Dr. Mojib Latif
2010

Entwicklung des Menschen – Grenzen und Chancen
Prof. Dr. Gerhard Roth
2009

Das Jahrhundert der Frauen
Frank Schirrmacher
2008

Was macht Menschen zufrieden?
Maja Storch
2007

Die permanente Bildungskatastrophe
Prof. Dr. Walther Zimmerli
2006

Vom richtigen Umgang mit der Zeit
Prof. Marianne Gronemeyer
2005

Facetten einer nachhaltigen Unternehmenspolitik
Prof. Dr. Peter Buomberger/Otto Ineichen/Schüler der Kantonsschule Wettingen
2004

Markt und Moral
Prof. Dr. Franz Jaeger/Prof. Dr. Hans Ruh
2003

Unternehmenskrisen – Fakten und Chancen
Daniel Previdoli/Dr. Ernst Thomke/Karl Wüthrich
2002

New Economy – und was nun?
Ueli Dietiker/Maya Lalive d’Epinay/Walter Meier
2001

Herausforderungen für Wirtschaft und Politik im Jahr 2000
Frank Boller/Josef Bürge/Rudolf Hug/Prof. Dr. Ueli Siegenthaler
2000