The Austrian public broadcaster ORF is dedicating a programming focus to the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people. ^[1] The author argues that the solidarity and human resilience displayed on September 11 should be preserved separately from the political choices and wars that followed. ^[2] The author, a professor of politics and public affairs, notes that while the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks arrives, the immediate shock and fear felt by those alive in 2001 are fading for younger generations who encounter the event only through media and stories. ^[3] The ORF programming block begins on Friday, September 5, 2026, and continues through September 11, 2026. ^[4] The programming aims to cover the immediate aftermath, the 'War on Terror' in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the long-term political and societal consequences of the attacks. ^[5] The schedule includes a two-part documentary titled 'Universum' featuring new documentaries and eyewitness reports. ^[6] A 2016 Pew Research Center survey found that 76% of Americans named the September 11 attacks as one of the 10 most consequential events of their lifetimes. ^[7] Scholars of collective memory argue that forgetting is a necessary part of social life because history accumulates faster than collective memory can accommodate it. ^[8]