Calendar 2025: Intercultural Weeks

Between 09/21 and 10/11/2025, the Intercultural Weeks in Hof were held under the theme "For it! – for an open, diverse society". The aim: to reduce prejudices, enable encounters, and strengthen integration in everyday life. The city-coordinated program was broad and largely free of charge – ideal for locals, guests, and families who want to experience Hof in its diversity.

Key offerings included, among others:

• Kick-off on World Children's Day (09/21/2025): A public launch with family-friendly activities in the park – low-threshold, cheerful, colorful.
• Bilingual city walk (10/02/2025): German/Turkish, starting in the King's Hall of the main station. The tour showcased history, living environments, and new perspectives in the station district.
• Open street festival "Festival of Diversity – Together in Hof" (10/10/2025): Music, dance, children's activities, and international cuisine gave encounters in the middle of the city a face.

In addition, numerous events set different accents:

• Workshop "Different Together" (10/11/2025): A hands-on look at how dialogue and integration can succeed in everyday life.
• Women's Health & Creative Day (10/11/2025): Low-threshold offerings that strengthen the diversity of female perspectives.
• Film matinée "300 Words of German" (10/07/2025): Cinema as a discussion space where language, origin, and opportunities are negotiated.
• Children's disco (10/04/2025): Music "from all over the world" – vibrant diversity that's fun.
• Encounter in the station district (09/25/2025): Open meeting with music and food – encounter at the long table.
• Exhibition visit with bus trip (09/28/2025): Cultural perspective beyond the city limits.

The dialogue was also deepened beyond October: A sociopolitical evening talk on 10/30/2025 brought together voices from different traditions, a culinary-musical evening of encounter on 11/15/2025 continued togetherness. In this way, the Intercultural Weeks act as an impetus that resonates throughout Hof's year.

Note: Detailed program info and any updates are provided by the organizers and the city. Please check dates online shortly before attending. [TODO: Link to Hof IKW 2025 official program]

Encounters & Dialogue in Everyday Life

In addition to large formats, Hof thrives on recurring offers that enable sustainable contacts week after week. A free congregation in the city regularly invites people to Sunday services at 10:00 a.m. and to prayer and home group evenings on Wednesdays. Such dates are deliberately low-threshold: You can come, listen, ask questions – or simply soak up the atmosphere.

For families these consistent anchors are important: Children have space to experience community; adults can find dialogue and conversation opportunities that don’t assume you "know everything" already. The value for city society is obvious: Regular encounters lower inhibitions, deepen integration, and support co-existence across generations, languages, and backgrounds.

Visitors also benefit: Those discovering Hof over the weekend often find open doors, music rehearsals, discussion groups, or small festivals in the neighborhoods. This creates an inviting atmosphere – and makes the city attractive for both culture lovers and for people seeking spiritual calm.

Festival Colorful: Families in Focus

On 07/20/2025, a one-day, ecumenical church and cultural festival in Hof brought together many participants under one motto: colorful. The day combined a festival service with trialogue elements and poetry slam, stage program and interactive areas for families, a market of opportunities as well as an impulse on "Artificial Intelligence and Church".

Why does an AI lecture belong at a city and church festival? Because faith and society in the 21st century are inseparably intertwined – and technological developments raise questions about ethics, responsibility, and community. An open festival like this offers the right space to talk about it: low-threshold, understandable, with practical relevance.

The format deliberately focused on multilingualism (including German, English, and dialect) – a clear signal of how diversity is lived. Between music, exchange, and food, a day emerged that brought the concept of integration to life: People from very different backgrounds stood on stage together, played, discussed, celebrated. The resonance showed: Such events are more than "program items" – they are places of encounter and learning.

Festival of Hope: Encounter in the Region

From 05/23 to 05/26/2025, the region south of Hof opened its doors to a multi-day encounter format: the "Festival of Hope". In the afternoons there were activities for young and old; in the evenings a roughly 75-minute livestream with music and reflections – a thematic focus each evening, such as "living hopefully" or "living balanced". In total, according to the organizers, about 450 guests were counted.

How can a livestream evening bring so many people together? By not just broadcasting but also creating local spaces: You watch together, exchange views, take impulses back into everyday life. For families this is especially attractive, as the time frame stays predictable and the barrier to participation is low.

In terms of content, the festival combined contributions from culture, sports, theology, and religious studies. This produced a multifaceted picture of hope – not as an abstract word, but as a tangible force in relationships, neighborhood, and engagement. For Hof, this means: Even formats in the nearby area foster encounters, radiate into the city, and complement the big stage of the Intercultural Weeks.

Religious Music: Gospel Jubilee

Music connects – and sometimes marks milestones. On 03/29/2025, a gospel jubilee concert celebrating the 25th anniversary was announced at the city event hall. Doors open: 6:00 p.m., start: 7:00 p.m. Such evenings show how art, spirituality, and city society interconnect: Choir voices meet personal stories, rhythm meets resonance with the audience.

Jubilees are more than round numbers. They make audible the continuity that is often overlooked in everyday life – rehearsals, youth development, voluntary commitment. For locals and guests alike, this lets you experience what diversity in Hof sounds like: sometimes quiet, sometimes rousing, always inviting. Again, events of this kind are building blocks for successful integration because they create shared experiences beyond religious affiliations.

Practical Guidance: Places, Tips, Planning

Important Places

• Freiheitshalle Hof (city event hall): Kulmbacher Str. 4, 95030 Hof. Frequent event venue for concerts, cultural and family formats. View on Google Maps.
• City center & station district: City walks, street festivals, and encounter events often take place in public spaces.
• Community centers and churches: Regular services, prayer and discussion groups (please check local notices or websites).

Planning Tips

• Accessibility & arrival: Check the organizers’ notes in advance (access, parking, public transit stops).
• Costs & registration: Many offers are free or low-threshold; some formats may require registration or a ticket.
• Multilingualism: Events partially use several languages – a good framework for conversing.
• With children: Family areas, creative islands, and shorter program slots make visits easy to plan.

Voices from Hof: What Visitors Say About Venues

Short impressions of a central cultural venue in Hof, often a stage for concerts, jubilees, and family formats:

"Perfect place in a way. You will find always some sort of events that might spark your interest. Highly recommended."

Google Maps – Freiheitshalle Hof (retrieved on 2025-11-17)

"Good event venue – good parking and all you need."

Google Maps – Freiheitshalle Hof (retrieved on 2025-11-17)

"A spacious venue with great acoustics and friendly staff."

Google Maps – Freiheitshalle Hof (retrieved on 2025-11-17)

Impact, Trends, Outlook

• Social Impact: Whether Intercultural Weeks or festival – everywhere spaces for dialogue and encounter arise. This strengthens trust between groups, reduces contact fears, and promotes civic engagement.
• Economy & Tourism: Cultural events attract visitors, enliven hospitality and hotels, and provide occasions to rediscover the city. Family-friendly formats extend stays and increase repeat recommendations.
• Education & Participation: Workshops, walks, and discussion evenings link knowledge with experience. This helps make integration understandable in everyday life – from language to health literacy to media skills.
• Digital & hybrid: Livestreams and accompanying meetings expand target groups without losing the local character.

Forecast: Hof is likely to further deepen the interlinking of culture, religion, and urban development – with more cooperation, consistent family orientation, and the inclusion of future topics such as AI, media ethics, and sustainability.

What does that mean for you? Anyone living in Hof will find places of encounter throughout the year – from Sunday service to the big festival. Visitors can plan their stay specifically around cultural events. For both: Get information early, stay open, and use opportunities for conversation.

Conclusion

2025 has shown how Hof comes together colorfully. The Intercultural Weeks set strong signs for integration, flanked by music, festivals, and consistent meeting points. Anyone who has been there knows: This is not about event-hopping, but about relationships. That is sustainable – for the city, its people, and everyone who visits Hof.

Sources & Further Links

1. Intercultural Week (official website) — Background, materials, federal framework (accessed 2025-11-17)
2. City of Hof (official website) — Notes on culture & events, city contact points (accessed 2025-11-17)
3. Freiheitshalle Hof — Schedule, tickets, visitor infos (accessed 2025-11-17)
4. Google Maps: Freiheitshalle Hof — Visitor reviews and site map (accessed 2025-11-17)