Property and Freedom Podcast, Episode 295.
These introductory remarks are from the recently-concluded 19th annual PFS 2025 Annual Meeting (Sep. 18–23, 2025, Bodrum, Turkey).
Gülçin Imre Hoppe (Turkey) & Hans-Hermann Hoppe (Germany/Turkey): Welcome and Introductions. Transcript and shownotes below.
Other talks appear on the Property and Freedom Podcast. Other videos may also be found at the PFS 2025 Youtube Playlist.
Grok shownotes
Show Notes: PFS 20th Anniversary Opening Remarks
Video: Property and Freedom Society 20th Anniversary – Opening
Speakers: Gülçin Imre Hoppe & Hans-Hermann Hoppe
Location: Bodrum, Turkey
[0:00 – Introduction and Sound Check]
- Brief audio/video test before the session begins.
- Music plays as the audience settles.
[0:22 – Welcoming the Audience]
Gülçin Imre Hoppe warmly greets attendees:
- Acknowledges long-distance travelers from Thailand, Guatemala, Japan, and beyond.
- Apologizes in advance for any logistical mishaps (e.g., kitchen oversights).
- Jokes: “Be glad you’re not eating onions instead of aubergines.”
- Expresses gratitude for guests enduring travel challenges to attend the second stop on their journey.
[1:44 – Celebrating 20 Years of PFS]
- Marks 20 years of the Property and Freedom Society (PFS).
- Playful comparison: Gülçin shows a photo of Hans-Hermann from the first conference.
- Grandkids’ reaction: “That’s not my opa!”
- Audience laughter and applause.
[2:50 – PFS as a Labor of Love]
Hans-Hermann Hoppe reflects:
- PFS has become an institution and a brand — but with no institute, no offices, no employees.
- Entirely a shoestring operation and labor of love.
- Organizers receive no compensation; supported only by a few volunteer helpers.
[3:49 – Hotel Operations During the Conference]
- The venue normally functions as a small bed-and-breakfast.
- For PFS, extra staff are hired from outside — a rare annual event.
- Normal hotel service is far more modest than the conference experience.
[4:37 – Practical Announcements]
- Enjoy your week in Bodrum.
- Boat Tour Sign-Up (Monday):
- Write your name + number of participants on the list ASAP.
- Needed to charter the correct number of boats.
- Delays in sign-up can cause complications.
[5:25 – Reception Correction and First Speaker]
- Program error: Reception is tonight at the pool area, not Saturday.
- Introduces Sean Gabb as the first speaker.
- Session closes with applause.
Key Takeaway:
The Property and Freedom Society’s 20th conference is a grassroots, volunteer-driven tradition — sustained by passion, not profit — bringing together a global community in Bodrum for ideas, fellowship, and (hopefully) no onion-aubergine mix-ups.
Next: Sean Gabb’s opening lecture.
Grok transcript
[0:00 – Introduction and Sound Check]
Gülçin Imre Hoppe: Are you seeing us? Some more test, test.
Gülçin Imre Hoppe: Can you look at us? Can you hear us?
Gülçin Imre Hoppe: Quiet, please.
[Music]
[0:22 – Welcoming the Audience]
Gülçin Imre Hoppe: So, who first?
Gülçin Imre Hoppe: Oh, okay. So dear old friends, dear new friends,
we have here people who come from very far places. They have to travel very long hours. We have you from Thailand. We have some very young couple from Guatemala.
We have—
Where are those? Okay, that kind of thing can happen. So you have to forgive me.
I also have to overlook the kitchen and so on. So mistakes can happen. So be happy that you don’t eat onions instead of aubergines—it could also happen. So welcome.
We are very happy to host you this year as well. And also some far traveler from Japan. I forgot you and everybody. It is always difficult to travel and here this is your second stop. So thank you for going through all the difficulties and arriving in Bodrum at our conference.
[1:44 – Celebrating 20 Years of PFS]
Gülçin Imre Hoppe: We are doing this since 20 years
[Music]
[Applause]
and you can see I stayed beautiful and energetic and everything as usual. Women tend to stay always beautiful. But when we started, this was my husband.
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[2:27 – Handover and Grandkids’ Reaction]
Gülçin Imre Hoppe: So I leave you with my—
I should mention that when we showed that to my grandkids, they said, “That’s not my opa.”
So you can continue.
[2:50 – PFS as a Labor of Love]
Hans-Hermann Hoppe: I wanted to mention that in these 20 years of course the PFS has become some sort of institution. And we have acquired a brand name I would think, but we have no institute behind us. We have no offices. We have no employees.
This is not a money-making operation for us. We don’t get any compensation for this. This has been just a labor of love as far as we are concerned. We just had a few little helpers help out here and there, but as I said, this is a shoestring operation.
[3:49 – Hotel Operations During the Conference]
Hans-Hermann Hoppe: You should also be made aware of the fact, for instance, that the hotel operates normally more as a bed-and-breakfast hotel with a small kitchen staff. For a conference such as this, we have to hire a substantial number of people from outside who you see standing around helping you, serving you and all the rest of it. So this is for the hotel a very unusual time because things like this only happen once a year. The normal operations of the hotel are far more modest than what you will be offered here.
[4:37 – Practical Announcements]
Hans-Hermann Hoppe: In any case, I hope you enjoy this week here—close to a week—in Bodrum. And I should also make you aware, very importantly, that you have to enlist on the boat tour list. Write down your name and how many people participate on the boat trip in order for us to charter the right amount of boats for the boat trip on Monday. So please do that as soon as possible because that sometimes causes certain complications to hire the appropriate boat number. So, thank you very much.
[5:25 – Reception Correction and First Speaker]
Hans-Hermann Hoppe: And with that, I give the word to Sean Gabb as our first speaker. Huh. Oh, I should mention that on the program somehow a slight screw-up happened. The reception will be tonight, not on Saturday, but tonight we have a reception at the pool area. So thank you again and please, Sean.
[Applause]
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (10.9MB)