Der Grosse Kanton: Rise & Fall of the BRD

ORGANISATION
Anselm Franke (Master Cultural Critique at Zurich University of the Arts), Emily Dische-Becker (Diaspora Alliance), Philip Ursprung (Institut für Geschichte und Theorie der Architektur, ETH Zürich), and medico international. Hosted by Kunsthaus Zürich, with support from Zentrum Künste und Kulturtheorie (ZKK).  

SPEAKERS
Schirin Amir Moazami, Patrick Bahners, Tsafrir Cohen, Emily Dische-Becker, Diedrich Diederichsen, Sultan Doughan, Yassin Elhaj-Saleh, Anselm Franke, Behzad Karim-Khani, Teresa Koloma Beck, Yves Kugelmann, Sima Luipert, Daniel Marwecki, Katja Maurer, Eva Menasse, Dirk Moses, Nahed Samour, Eran Schaerf, Stefanie Schüler-Springorum, Danilo Scholz, Erhard Schüttpelz, Kerstin Stakemeier, Simon Strick, Ana Teixeira Pinto,  Jakob Tanner, Adam Tooze, Hannah Tzuberi, Philip Ursprung, Eyal Weizman, and others.
 

The post-war period is finally history. Dwindling with it: the Federal Republic of Germany, beacon of a now-scrambled order. The success story of the BRD—the redemption of the Germans—once seemed to offer a model for how a nation could confront its history of violence. Historical reappraisal, critical discourse, and cosmopolitan cultural institutions: these sources of soft power allowed Germany to appear—and just as importantly, see itself—as a guiding light for freedom and democracy.

The era of the Federal Republic has ended not with its dissolution, but through a progressive hollowing out of long-established norms that once formed the core of its memory politics. Germany's acknowledgement of its history of violence—widely held as a prerequisite for renouncing  nationalism—has been supplanted by an anti-immigration complex, where immigrants are blamed for everything that contradicts the nation's self-image of penitent reform. Dissent is met with increasingly authoritarian measures, as if a liberal democracy could be protected and defended by illiberal means. International law and human rights, the very structures that emerged from Auschwitz and decolonization, are being sacrificed for the sake of political expediency. The nation's pluralistic culture is being subordinated to a Staatsräson, which is increasingly at odds with its post-fascist consensus and opening massive rifts in German society.

Our interdisciplinary symposium, "Der grosse Kanton: Rise & Fall of  the BRD", is a call for sharp analyses and bold theses, the kind that can sometimes only be provided by outsiders. The latest research on the social function of memory culture will be presented and debated by renowned experts in culture and media, drawing on recent cultural upheavals that are roiling Germany's body politic. From the critical distance of Zurich, rigorous historical and cultural-critical analyses will share a stage with polemical speculation and artistic reflections, enabling a plurality of perspectives currently not readily possible in Germany.

As space will be limited on site, there will be a live stream of the conference. If you would like to organize a public viewing at your location—whether it's a bar, community center, or neighborhood meeting place of your choice—we will be happy to assist you. Please contact us at .

FURTHER INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION HERE!

The panel discussions will be held in German; simultaneous English translations will be provided.

FRIDAY, 5 DECEMBER 2025
ETH Hauptgebäude

18.30: WENN ICH AUF DIE BRD ZURÜCKBLICKE, DANN MUSS ICH LEIDER SAGEN
by Behzad Karim Khani

19.00: BRUCHSTELLEN UND BAUSTELLEN: DIE WECHSELHAFTEN BEZIEHUNGEN ZWISCHEN DER SCHWEIZ UND DEUTSCHLAND IM 20. JAHRHUNDERT
Input by Jakob Tanner

19.15: BILLIARD UM HALB ZEHN, ODER: THE ‘GERMAN ISSUE’, ARCHÄOLOGIE DER NACHKRIEGSZEIT
At least in a symbolic sense, the Federal Republic emerged as a centerpiece of a world order that arose from the ruins of German claims to global hegemony: where two world wars were unleashed and industrial genocide perpetrated, history should not be allowed to repeat itself. In this sense, the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) was a cornerstone of the post-war order, whose architecture has now crumbled. This panel addresses tipping points in the history of the BRD and its democratic culture. Where does the "big canton" fit into the new world order? What can be done about the emerging chasms between Germany’s self-perception and its global reputation?
With Tsafrir Cohen, Sima Luipert, Daniel Marwecki, Eva Menasse, Jakob Tanner, Adam Tooze

SATURDAY, 6 DECEMBER 2025
Kunsthaus Zürich, Vortragssaal Moserbau

10.00: (KEIN) DENKEN OHNE GELÄNDER OR: THE MEDIA AND THE DISINTEGRATION OF THE POLITICAL PUBLIC SPHERE
Political public discourse was a central concept in the West German understanding of democracy. Above all, the media was meant to be a forum for debate and a place for forging new agreements. Today, a large part of the population no longer trusts the media. Since the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing reporting on Gaza, they are seen as carriers of a state ideology that operates without public consent. At the sticking points of contention, the debate shifts instead to social media or smaller platforms. What role do mainstream media play in normalizing right-wing resentment and in fueling public mistrust in democratic norms? And why have they apparently failed to preserve and expand democratic and pluralistic spaces?
With Patrick Bahners, Diedrich Diederichsen, Emily Dische-Becker, Behzad Karim Khani, Danilo Scholz

12.00: ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL OR: DANGEROUS KNOWLEDGE, STATE DISCOURSE AND DISTORTIONS OF REALITY
What happens when government policy and official guidelines for public and academic discourse openly contradict empirical evidence, scientific codes, and legislation?
With Schirin Amir-Moazami, Teresa Koloma-Beck, Nahed Samour, Simon Strick, Eyal Weizman

15.00: 7000 OAKS OR PROVINCIALISM AND GLOBAL HORIZONS – DER GROSSE KANTON
It wasn't just the return of economic and military wars that brought down the post-war order. The broken promises of "soft power" also played a role. This panel examines the place of German cultural institutions—such as documenta in Kassel—within a global context
With Yassin Elhaj-Saleh, Anselm Franke, Dirk Moses, Ana Teixeira Pinto, Kerstin Stakemeier
This panel will be held in English.

17.30: PATTERNS OF CHILDHOOD OR: THE UNEASE SURROUNDING THE CULTURE OF REMEMBRANCE: NEW APPROACHES IN RESEARCH
This last panel examines the tipping points and fault lines of German and Western memory culture and its institutions on the one hand, and the international state of research on the history of modern violence on the other. Which structures of a “political theology” dominate the present?
With Sultan Doughan, Yves Kugelmann, Stefanie Schüler-Springorum, Erhard Schüttpelz, Hannah Tzuberi

19.30 WENN IN EINER WESTDEUTSCHEN FERNSEH-TALKSHOW DAS LICHT AUSGEHT. FRAG MAX/ WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT IN A WEST GERMAN TALKSHOW. ASK MAX
A lecture performance by Eran Schaer