Review: Lecture Series on Freedom

Contribution to the BMBF Science Year 2024 by the Center for Conflict Studies (Marburg) in cooperation with TraCe

Vier Personen sitzen auf einem Podium.
Foto: Christian Stein (für die Philipps-Universität Marburg)

As contribution to Science Year 2024 from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) on the topic of freedom, the Center for Conflict Research, in cooperation with TraCe, dedicated its lecture series Conflicts in the Present and Future to the topic of freedom. Five evening events took place in this context, all moderated by TraCe Principal Investigator Prof. Dr. Susanne Buckley-Zistel.

The series kicked off with a panel discussion with the Hessian Minister for Science and Research, Art and Culture, the Director of the Institute for Advanced Study Berlin and a sociologist specializing in social analysis and social change from Helmut Schmidt University in Hamburg. In Germany, academic freedom is a valuable asset and enshrined in the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany – yet it faces increasing pressure. The aim of the discussion was to address current challenges and show ways in which different positions can be dealt with productively at universities. The other lectures were dedicated to the topics of freedom of movement in the context of the mobility transition, the presentation of the book Gekränkte Freiheit (“Restricted Freedom”) by Prof. Oliver Nachtwey, the interface between freedom of movement and migration policy and the topic of freedom from gender-based violence.

On the topic of gender-based violence and migration policy, journalist Carolin Heintjes presented her book Femizide. Frauenmorde in Deutschland (“Femicides in Germany”) (Hirzel, 2022) and discussed it together with TraCe members on a panel. The aim was to shed light on the topic of gender-based violence from different perspectives. In Germany, a woman becomes a victim of intimate partner violence every third day and there is an attempted homicide every two days. However, femicide is not just a German problem – and violence is not exclusively directed against women, but also against LGBTIQ* people.

The author and artist Adrian Pourviseh (Das Schimmern der See, “The Shimmering of the Sea”, Avant Verlag 2023) presented his book as part of the lecture series. Following, he discussed the topic of European external borders and asylum policy with Valeria Hänsel from the NGO medico international. The discussion focused on how legal regulations on migration and measures such as returns restrict the freedom of movement of people seeking protection. The aim of the panel was to critically examine current developments and challenges in this field.

The lectures were directed at the students and staff from the university as well as the local public, and were held in cooperation with the University City of Marburg in the historical Town Hall.