ILFA stands for tolerance and openness – not only on 9 November

9 November is a fateful day in German history. The most recent historical event was the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 – an event that we rightly commemorate, as the Wall divided the two German states for a long time. It was a rift that could only be healed 28 years later. 9 November 1938, on the other hand, marked a high point in the violent persecution of Jews with the “Reichspogromnacht”. A painful chapter in history, which has once again become sadly topical due to recent events in the Middle East conflict.

For ILFA, this is more than just an occasion to once again focus on our open and tolerant corporate culture. With around 200 employees from more than 20 nations, we are also a multicultural pool of individuals who get on well and work well together. This works because we treat each other as equals, give each other room to manoeuvre, but also proactively demand tolerance. It is one of our central concerns that everyone enjoys coming to work and feels comfortable. This is the only way to achieve good individual performance. We have no use for prejudice and marginalisation, and we know no pardon.

Why can’t what we take for granted apply everywhere and to everyone? We allow ourselves to be different, are proud of our diversity and tolerate other opinions. According to the Austrian philosopher Karl Popper, an open society is constantly changing, is never finished and there is not just “one” truth. These are clear parallels to a dynamic corporate culture, which is also constantly evolving and is not static. Anyone who joins us is committed to these values and can of course rely on and refer to them. In this sense, we are all jointly responsible for ensuring that dark chapters in history, such as 9 November 1938, are never repeated.