The conference in Erfurt focuses on democracy as a practice that has evolved over time and is, at the same time, a subject of contention. It explores how democratic systems came into being, what conflicts have shaped them – and how these conflicts continue to this day.
Next date:
| Universität Erfurt; Erfurt
| Conference
Umkämpfte Demokratie
Umkämpfte Demokratie
This dialogue between historical scholarship and related disciplines sheds light on key areas of tension: inequality and property, the public sphere and the media, migration and the politics of memory, the environment, the body, gender, and social participation. The contributions demonstrate that democracy has always been – and continues to be – the result of negotiation processes, struggles, and social transformations.
The conference is a collaboration between SFB 294: "Structural Change in Ownership", FOR 2983: "Voluntarism", and "Historians for a Democratic Society". We will discuss how democracy has developed historically, the challenges it faces today, and how it can be shaped in the future.
Program:
Friday, November 20, 2026
|
12.30 |
Welcome Coffee |
|
13.00 - 13.30 |
Welcome and Introduction |
|
13.30 - 14.45 |
Demokratie, Körper und Geschlecht: Demokratische Sorge und autoritäre Austerität in Krisenzeiten der sozialen Reproduktion Jule Govrin (Bergische Universität Wuppertal) |
|
15.00 - 16.15 |
Demokratie, Erinnerungspolitik und Migration: Was sagen uns die Debatten um Migration, Flucht und Asyl über die politische Kultur der Berliner Republik? Patrice G. Poutrus (Amadeu Antonio Stiftung, Berlin) |
|
|
Coffee |
|
16.45 - 18.00 |
Demokratie, Partizipation und Engagement: (Wie) Funktionieren Bürgerdialoge in Stadtteilen mit extrem rechten Dominanzbestrebungen? Heike Radvan (Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen) |
|
18.15 - 19.30 |
Demokratie, Medien und Öffentlichkeit: Zu den Voraussetzungen einer freien Meinungsbildung Ulrike Weckel (Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen) |
|
20.00 |
Dinner |
Saturday, November 21, 2026
|
09.00 - 10.15 |
Demokratie, Eigentum und Ungleichheit: Braucht Demokratie Sozialismus? Silke van Dyk (Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena) |
|
10.30 - 11.45 |
Demokratie, Umwelt und Natur: Braucht Freiheit Überfluss? Dirk Schuck (Universität Erfurt) |
|
12.00 - 12.30 |
Wrap-up |
|
13.30 - 15.00 |
Hist4Dem Meeting |
Registration: By November 6, 2026, via email to tagung.demokratie@uni-erfurt.de