When does the event take place?

The event takes place on Thursday, July 2, 2026, at 8:00 PM.

Where is the event located?

The reading and discussion will take place at Villa Schöningen, Berliner Straße 86, 14467 Potsdam.

What is the admission price?

The ticket price starts at €20.00.

Is the event taking place indoors or outdoors?

It is an open-air event in the park of Villa Schöningen.

Is there a book signing?

There is currently no confirmed information regarding this.

Is the venue accessible for people with disabilities?

Villa Schöningen indicates that the exhibition house is not accessible due to conservation regulations.

A Summer Evening About Europe in Space, Told by Visionary Voices

Name: Samantha Cristoforetti and Josef Aschbacher in Potsdam: Europe in Space
Start: 2026-07-02T22:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-07-03T00:00:00+02:00
Location: Villa Schöningen

An Evening About Europe's Future in Space

As part of the Potsdam Literature Festival, scientific precision meets narrative expansiveness: On Thursday, July 2, 2026, Samantha Cristoforetti and Josef Aschbacher will meet to discuss people, missions, and visions in European spaceflight. The evening combines readings, author encounters, and cultural discourse into a literary experience that cleverly brings together technology, politics, and imagination.

When Spaceflight Becomes Narrative

Samantha Cristoforetti is one of the most prominent voices of contemporary Europe when it comes to life in space and the language of experience. Her perspective opens the view to a literature of reality: for diary, reflection, and the intimate tone of an author transforming extreme experiences into precise thoughts. Josef Aschbacher brings the institutional perspective as ESA Director and sharpens the view for the broader lines of European spaceflight.

A Festival Evening with Intellectual Altitude

The event in the Park of Villa Schöningen unfolds a special reading atmosphere. Open air, historically charged yet open to future questions, it creates a setting where the art of language and science do not contradict each other but rather reinforce one another. The combination of author, astronaut, and ESA director promises an evening that goes far beyond a classic reading.

A Place with Character and Cultural Aura

The Villa Schöningen by the Glienicke Bridge is one of the significant cultural places in Potsdam. The historic park, the proximity to the border between Berlin and Potsdam, and the well-defined event program give the evening a special atmosphere. For visitors, this creates a setting that elegantly combines literature, space for thought, and summer evening.

Why This Date Stands Out

The conversation about Europe in space strikes a nerve of the present: How do you narrate progress, how do you convey responsibility, how does scientific research remain humanly perceptible? It is precisely from this that this event derives its literary quality. For those interested in reading, discussion, and cultural context, this is an evening with rarely clear thematic radiance.

Conclusion: This event promises an intelligent, inspiring summer evening between literature, science, and the European future debate. Anyone wanting to experience Samantha Cristoforetti and Josef Aschbacher live should mark this extraordinary appearance in their calendar.