News

10. June 2024

"Those up there"

Vice-Rector for Research and sociologist Raj Kollmorgen in an interview with MDR Kultur about GDR influences and right-wing populism in East Germany.

Every Saturday between 19:00 and 19:30, MDR KULTUR talks to leading German-speaking intellectuals about the essential questions of our time. The topics range from history and society, philosophy, religion and cultural history to the natural sciences and life support.

In an interview with MDR editor Clemens Haug on June 1, 2024, Vice-Rector Research and Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences Raj Kollmorgen spoke about why the AfD's popularity is particularly high in eastern Germany.

In his opinion, the success of populist parties in East Germany is based on the cultural influences of the GDR on the one hand and the disappointments after reunification on the other.

Listen in!

You can find the full interview with 'MDR Kultur - Das Radio' here.

The future of democracy in (East) Germany

In addition to the interview with MDR, Prof. Raj Kollmorgen's expertise was also in demand at the 9th annual conference of the Democracy Center Saxony. At the invitation of the Minister of State for Social Affairs and Social Cohesion, Petra Köpping, more than 200 experts from all over Saxony took part in the event in Dresden on 30 May 2024 and exchanged views on the future of democracy in (East) Germany and the growing power of authoritarian populist and far-right actors.

As part of a panel discussion, Minister of State Petra Köpping discussed the future of democracy in eastern Germany together with Lisa Paus (Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth), Carsten Schneider (Minister of State and Commissioner for Eastern Germany of the Federal Government), Prof. Dr. Raj Kollmorgen (Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences) and Andrea Hübler (Managing Director of RAA Sachsen e.V.).

You can find more information here.

Photo: Prof. Dr. phil. habil. Raj Kollmorgen
Ihre Ansprechperson
Prof. Dr. phil. habil.
Raj Kollmorgen
Faculty of Social Sciences
02826 Görlitz
Furtstrasse 2
Building G I, Room 2.17
2nd upper floor
+49 3581 374-4259