Christoph Markschies and Ute Frevert at the launch of the “GiD goes to school” series of events in Berlin. The first event took place on May 28, 2025, at a Berlin school. Under the title “We and Ukraine: How does the Second World War in Eastern Europe still affect us today?”, young people and researchers discussed how historical experiences influence current conflicts and how they are perceived – with a view to the 80th anniversary of the end of the war in 1945 and the current war that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for three years.
Making humanities research visible and accessible to the public is a central concern for both partners: The Max Weber Foundation operates nearly a dozen foreign institutes that contribute to the internationalization of the humanities and social sciences as scientifically autonomous institutions. The Academies' Union coordinates the largest research initiative of its kind with the Academies' Program and promotes long-term basic research of high social relevance.
“The experience of recent years shows how important and orienting the humanities are for our present—especially when they seek dialogue with society. With formats such as ‘GiD goes to school,’ we are further expanding this dialogue,” said Ute Frevert, President of the Max Weber Foundation.
"Many people in academia are capable of giving long lectures. But really engaging in dialogue with the questions, ideas, and objections of young people in schools is a challenge, but also an excellent opportunity to conduct science in a way that resonates with people and society. In this respect, I am looking forward to many more events organized by ‘GiD goes to school’. Because there is a lot we can learn together," explains Christoph Markschies, President of the Akademienunion.
Geisteswissenschaft im Dialog (GiD) is a cooperation between the Max Weber Foundation and the Academies' Union. The aim of the discussion forum is to bring the humanities into conversation—with each other, with other sciences, and with the public. The series of events takes place at various locations throughout Germany. gid.hypotheses.org
The Max Weber Foundation – German Humanities Institutes Abroad (MWS) promotes research in the fields of history, culture, economics, and social sciences in selected host countries. To this end, it maintains institutes, research groups, and offices worldwide. The MWS is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. www.maxweberstiftung.de
The Union of German Academies of Sciences and Humanities (Union of Academies/Akademienunion) is an association of eight science academies in the German states, bringing together more than 2,000 scientists from various disciplines. www.akademienunion.de