Apropos Gegenwart #8: Zukunft oder Zeitenwende?

Sociologist Harald Welzer has earned himself a reputation as a future architect with publications such as Alles könnte anders sein – "Eine Gesellschaftsutopie für freie Menschen" (It Could All Be Different – A Social Utopia for Free People). This is complemented by his work at the Futurzwei foundation, which explores future-oriented issues from technology to economy. His latest book (with co-author Michel Friedman), however, sounds like a bleak diagnosis: "Zeitenwende – Der Angriff auf Demokratie und Menschenwürde" (Turning Point – Assault on Democracy and Human Dignity). In it, the authors contemplate the social, political and cultural consequences of the Covid-19 crisis. Isolde Charim talks to Harald Welzer about possible solutions that could transform the “turning point” from a diagnosis into a therapy. After all, learning from crises is a cornerstone of the future of democracy.