Democracy in (permanent) crisis?

In light of growing disillusionment with politics, populist threats to democracy, and the erosion of civic culture, the question is more pressing today than ever: What holds democracies together at their core? What role do the origins of democracy play, and how should its normative foundations be defined?

This international and multidisciplinary conference brings together leading voices from philosophy and political theory, history, and law with students and faculty from various disciplines, as well as interested citizens from Berlin and the surrounding area.

At the center is the idea that reflecting on the historical origins of democratic practice in 5th-century BCE Attic democracy and discussing its humanistic foundations not only satisfies a historical and systematic interest but also opens up new perspectives on contemporary challenges.

The three-day event takes place at various locations of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation—the panel discussions will be held in the auditorium of the James Simon Gallery—and combines lectures with performative elements.

In the lunchtime interventions drawing on art, curatorial practice, and political education, democracy is brought to life as space, image, body, and conflict.

How has the concept of human dignity and participation changed from ancient Greece to the present day? What role do elites play—then as now? What role do individual freedom and social justice play in an increasingly digital, globalized world? How should the humanistic foundations of modern democracy be interpreted, and how can we counter the threats to them?

These and other topics will be discussed at the conference.

Three-day conference: June 24–26, 2026

• Registration and further information

Sponsored by the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion, the Körber Foundation, and the Humanism Foundation Berlin.

IN GERMAN