New Event Series: »Medien und Demokratie im Umbruch«
The Bauhaus-Universität Weimar and the Weimarer Republik e.V. are opening the invitation to the »Medien und Demokratie im Umbruch« six-part event series starting on 29 April 2026. Experts from the fields of science, media industry, and society will be discussing the relationship between media transformation and democratic society at the Haus der Weimarer Republik’s Forum for Democracy. The events are open to the public and free of charge.
We are living in a time of extreme upheaval – and this affects a large proportion of our society. This is especially apparent in two areas: The media sector, where a genuine revolution is taking place and the ways in which we communicate and disseminate news is fundamentally changing. And democracy as a form of social order, which is facing the enormous challenge of solving increasingly complex and urgent problems in ways that involve society. Media and democracy are inextricably linked in this sense and they strongly influence one another.
It still is not clear how these complex issues will develop. Either way, discussion is needed. This is where the Department of Media Studies at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar’s Faculty of Media and the Weimarer Republik e.V. come in with their 2026 jointly organised »Medien und Demokratie im Umbruch« six-part event series. The series will kick off at the end of April and wrap up at the end of November. The events will be held at the Haus der Weimarer Republik’s Forum for Democracy. Each event will include a discussion held by two individuals from academia, the media industry, and civil society on the relationship between media and democracy. The audience is welcome and encouraged to join in the discussions.
Three events will be held in the first half of 2026:
29 April – »Zwischen Kritik und Paranoia«
Dr. Melanie Amann (Digital Editor-in-Chief, Funke Mediengruppe) and Prof. Lorenz Engell (Faculty of Media, Bauhaus-Universität Weimar) discuss current social debates and their significance.
26 May – »Zwischen Wut und Widerstand«
Anna-Lena von Hodenberg (Executive Director, HateAid) and Dr. Jenny Baumann (Historian) discuss positive change processes and the devastating effects of hate and incitement in digital spaces.
23 June – »Zwischen Ahnung und Meinung«
Dr. Stefan Leifert (Head of ZDF-heute-journal) and Dr. Mandy Tröger (Media Studies Specialist) discuss the importance of verified information, as well as subjective influences and alternative facts in the media.
The events will be held at 6 pm at the Forum for Democracy in the Hause der Weimarer Republik, Theaterplatz 4, 99423 Weimar.
Admission is free of charge. Please register at veranstaltungen[at]hdwr.de
The »Medien und Demokratie im Umbruch« event series is a cooperation between the Weimarer Republik e.V. And the Faculty of Media at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar.