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Bern 2025 Edition
“The Millennium Flood” in Bern, 2025
The first pilot project for “The Millennium Flood,” the first scenario in the overall project “Politics on Stage: Deciding the Future,” took place in Bern in the spring of 2025.
Here you can watch a short trailer for the events planned in Bern in 2025.
What is “The Millennium Flood” about?
Fall 2037. A deluge is sweeping across Switzerland, a country nestled in the Alps. Weeks of storms, melting snow, and extreme rainfall are washing away the mountainsides and flooding the Swiss Plateau. The authorities are overwhelmed. Our neighboring countries are ready to come to Switzerland’s aid with their “Green Helmets”—these newly formed “climate change response troops.” In return, Switzerland must send its own citizens to serve in the Green Helmets. What should be done?
In “The Millennium Flood,” set in the not-too-distant future, the audience meets prominent figures from the worlds of politics, business, and science and must make a decision: join the Green Helmets and commit to fighting climate change, or face the crisis alone? Human lives and Switzerland’s independence are at stake. The ultimatum expires at 9 p.m.
Shows
On April 23, 29, and 30, as well as May 5, 2025, we were pleased to host four unique and highly successful performances at Bern City Hall, attended by 76 experts and more than 700 participants. During our special “Young” edition on April 30, we also organized discussions with an audience of people under 30, which allowed us to engage young people in this fictional political debate. It is with satisfaction and pride that we look back on these fantastic and thrilling moments, these fascinating political discussions, and this dramatic debate during which the politics of tomorrow suddenly seemed within reach and very real.
Featuring prominent figures such as Andrea Sprecher Olsansky, Guy Krayenbühl, Daniel Koch, Regula Rytz, Ambassador Karin Mössenlechner, Jacqueline de Quattro, Flavia Wasserfallen, Marc Jost, Francis Cheneval, Swiss Youth for Climate, Petra Sieber, Cyril Brunner, Fabienne Stämpfli, Romeo Arnold, Toni Eder, Elisa Cadelli, Benno Zogg, actors from Bühnen Bern, Tom Berger, Nathan Näpfli, Christine Badertscher, Damaris Hohler, Christian Bär, Flavien Gousset, Amélie Galladé, Nicole Siegrist, and representatives from Klimasenior:innen.
Media Coverage
We have to pay for our climate sins. With a catastrophe? – Berner Zeitung, Jasmin Jaun
In the Flood – Republic, Leonard Haverkamp
Emergency Committee Discusses Simulated Crisis – TeleBärn, Micha Weibel
Kultur Kompakt Podcast (starting at 15:04) – Swiss Radio and Television (SRF), Anna Jungen
JD Vance is U.S. President and Ms. Blocher Works at a Soup Kitchen: Political Theater Simulates the Future – Tagblatt, Julia Stephan
The Flood of the Century – When Theater, Politics, and the Audience Come Together – Deutschlandfunk, Anita Gestrüpp
A scenario that feels alarmingly real – Journal B, Noah Pilloud
“The Flood of the Millennium”: Under a State of Emergency – WOZ Die Wochenzeitung, Tabea Andres
The lessons learned from the four performances were then discussed with members of Congress and led to a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry.
Note: Additional images are available via this link ©Jérôme Favre.
