O nobilissima viriditas

O edelstes Grün - O most noble green

Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179)

 

Viriditas – das ist eine Wortschöpfung von Hildegard von Bingen. Viriditas ist Grünkraft. Grünkraft ist Lebenskraft. Lebenskraft ist Gotteskraft und damit auch Heilkraft. Auf der Internationalen Tagung gingen wir in Vortrag, Workshops und gemeinsamer Unternehmung der Frage nach, was der Begriff der Visionärin und Naturforscherin uns heute im Blick auf nachhaltige Entwicklung der Umwelt und Integrität des Menschen bedeuten kann. Die Referentenaus Europa und Amerika sprachen in deutscher und / oder englischer Sprache.

The notion of viriditas has been coined by Hildegard of Bingen. Viriditas is the green power of life, it is Divine power and it is healing power.In today’s time and age of climate change,  environmental exploitation, violence and wars – could the awareness of Viriditas open our eyes and move our hearts to let us work for freedom, justice and integrity of creations in the right way!? – This was the question of this international conference to which the Scivias Institute invites to Bingen. As in the first International Hildegard Conference 2012, international scholars & artists gave lectures, performances and workshops in English and/or German.

 

Tagungsleitung / Director:  Dr. Annette Esser

 

Mitwirkung - Cooperation

Abtei St. Hildegard - Hildegard-Forum der Kreuzschwestern - Rupertsberger Hildegard-Gesellschaft e.V. - Kulturamt der Stadt Bingen -

Volkshochschule Bingen - Scivias-Stiftung -Internationale Hildegard-Gesellschaft e.V.

Short evaluation

Here is a short evaluation of the International Hildegard Conference May 26-29, 2016: Hildegard’s notion of “viriditas” has become meaningful for participants of the conference in various ways. There has not just been talk but also learning and experience about “viriditas”. Basically this was about the spiritual experience of “viriditas within” us but also about the very physical energy of light and breath and about the greening power in nature. The talk, we had in the Plenum deepened our own thoughts; it will be transcribed and added to this in a documentation.
There has been a great appreciation of the conference and especially of the work of Annette. The diversity and the mixture of lecture and workshops, and especially the impact of the art was highly appreciated. Especially positively mentioned were the music by Keiko and Susanne, the dancing workshop, Kees’ theological lecture, the art and calligraphy-workshop, the pilgrimages to Disbodenberg and to Eibingen, and there the visit of the Abbey and it’s Scriptorium, the Festive dinner in the Hildegard-Forum and the Theatre Play.
What was critical can be summarized in three points: (1) There was too much work-load on just one person (Annette!), and if there is a international conference there needs to be a larger team to do the organizing & day to day work; (2) Participants need to be better informed – best in in advance - about the pathways between various buildings, and, there should be better information about transport; also buildings where events take place need to be signed from outside; (3) various other suggestions were about having only one conference-building; better accessibility for people with handicaps; less program during all days; less music at one evening; wish for silence during meals; introduction of participants. – Yet altogether much more positive than negative points were mentioned.
The wish for having a next international Hildegard-conference is there. Yet, Annette has clearly declared that never again will she organize a conference so much on her own. There needs to be a team and also, a better co-operation with other Hildegard-organisations as well as the support of sponsors. Various themes are suggested: wisdom and virtues; light; the elements; dicretio; the Rhine; mystic; sound; synergy; sapientia & caritas. Concretely – also during the plenum and later on in the membership-assembly, several participants have concretely declared to be willing to join such a team if possible:
As an active members and as a teacher of the Scivias-Institute Dr. Kees den Biesen is willing to co-ordinate the team; our webmaster Dr. Manja Seelen will take care for the structure and planning in advance (“Korsett”); as conference participants Martin Meinders and Rada Pieper have shown an interest to join this group; and last not least as chairperson of the board of the Scivias-Institute, Dr. Annette Esser will also join again. This team will then have to decide about the theme and of the time of this next conference in about 3-5 years (Fall 2019; Spring 2020, or Fall 2020). In between, we may also pick up the suggestion of Martin Meinders to connect better via the internet.