On 22 February 2025, more than a thousand people gathered in front of the entrance to the Volkstheater Wien to speak out in support of basic human rights and freedom: following an idea by Gerhard Rühm, a legend of the Austrian post-war avant-garde, the ‘Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ was read out individually and in turn, word for word. The 1,355 spoken words of the Declaration were broadcast into the city via two large loudspeakers during the event, which lasted several hours – and were recorded simultaneously.

For Gerhard Rühm, the ‘Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ ranks at the very top of all written manifestos. It describes, for the first time, rights that (should) apply to everyone, at all times and everywhere in the world. “In view of the current extremely worrying political developments, reflecting on our democratic values is surely highly appropriate,” explained Rühm in 2025 in an interview to mark his 95th birthday, outlining his motivation for bringing this idea to fruition.

Initiated by the TONSPUR Kunstverein Wien, the art project – which Rühm had described as utopian in terms of its feasibility – was nevertheless realised in 2025 in collaboration with the Volkstheater Wien under the direction of Kay Voges.

At the instigation of Georg Weckwerth, founder and artistic director of the TONSPUR Kunstverein Wien, and directed by Gerhard Rühm, the sound recording was edited by ORF sound engineer Martin Leitner in such a way that “a self-contained prose text is created, which is to be broadcast on the radio and manifested as an installation at a suitable, high-footfall location. “The effect is likely to be overwhelming,” says Gerhard Rühm.

KÖR Wien is delighted that, following the radio premiere of ‘wort für wort – totale rezitation der allgemeinen erklärung der menschenrechte’ on Ö1 (‘Blaue Stunde’, 10 August 2026, 9.00 pm), the eight-channel installation of the same name, created for public spaces, can also be presented to a wide audience: Following its world premiere on 13 August 2026 at Vienna’s Heldenplatz, the sound piece – which lasts around half an hour – will be played on a loop at the same location daily from 10 am to 8 pm until 30 August. Word for word, it reminds us that democracy and human rights form the foundation of our coexistence.