»Mensch Macht Moderne« presentation and podium series with Dr. Peter Frey and Prof. Dr. Volkhard Knigge

Entitled »Medien Demokratie Verantwortung (Media Democracy Responsibility)« the seventh event in the »Mensch Macht Moderne« podium discussion series focuses on the importance of an independent press in modern society. Guest speakers are Dr. Peter Frey, Editor-in-Chief of German public broadcaster ZDF, and Prof. Dr. Volkhard Knigge, Director of Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation. The event starts at 6 pm in the Oberlichtsaal in the Main Building of the University.

»In a sense, the topic of media, democracy, and responsibility is at the heart of the series of events. It is not only the centenary in 2019 which provides good reason to discuss what freedom and democracy as well as a free and independent press means for us today. Particularly against the background of increasing right-wing populist leanings, growing division in society in addition to the massive hostility towards public service broadcasting in Germany as well as in other countries where freedom of the press is meanwhile largely restricted or threatened, we must discuss the history, role and importance of public service broadcasting in modern society«, says Prof. Dr. Jutta Emes, Vice-President of Internationalisation and Digitisation at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar.

In his presentation »Qualitätsjournalismus in Zeiten von Populismus und Digitalisierung (Quality journalism in the age of populism and digitisation)« Editor-in-Chief of ZDF, Dr. Peter Frey, will highlight current developments and the challenges faced within journalism. This will be followed by a discussion with Prof. Dr. Volkhard Knigge, Director of Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation, together with students, colleagues and members of the public. Prof. Dr. Jutta Emes will act as host for the event.

Background:
For the »Mensch Macht Moderne« podium discussion series organised by the Presidium, members of the University Council of Bauhaus-Universität Weimar as well as representatives from the areas of politics, culture and media will address key Bauhaus questions from today’s perspective and discuss these with students. The events are open to the public and all interested parties are warmly invited to attend.

The series takes place within the scope of the Bauhaus-Semester on Wednesday evenings, and explores the topics of »autonomy« and »responsibility« of humans in the modern age. In connection with this, current developments linked to Bauhaus come to the fore: What responsibility do people and the media bear concerning questions relating to digitisation and automation? What power does academia have in the modern era? How political was the Bauhaus and how political does the Bauhaus centenary need to be? In exchange with internal and external discussion partners, the aim is to explore and critically reflect upon topics from various perspectives, and thus bring to discussion what consequences and courses of action exist and how current developments can be used but also misused.

»Mensch Macht Moderneֿ« with Dr. Peter Frey and Prof. Dr. Volkhard Knigge
19 December 2018, 6pm
Oberlichtsaal, Main Building of Bauhaus-Universität Weimar
Geschwister-Scholl-Straße 8, 99423 Weimar

Find out more at:
https://www.uni-weimar.de/bauhaussemester/

Contact partner:

Please contact Prof. Dr. Jutta Emes, Vice-President of Internationalisation and Digitisation, on +49 (0) 36 43/58 11 14 or jutta.emes[at]uni-weimar.de if you have any questions about the event.