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Sustainable future: Bauhaus University Weimar shapes transformation!
Ulrike Kuch leads the “Beyond Now” series on social transformation at the Bauhaus University Weimar. Events discuss democracy and understanding of history.
Sustainable future: Bauhaus University Weimar shapes transformation!
Ulrike Kuch is a prominent figure in the architectural debate in Germany. As a university lecturer for architectural theory and vice president for social transformation at the Bauhaus University Weimar, she is actively involved in shaping social discourse. Together with Maximilian Rünker, she launched the “Beyond Now” event series. This series includes seven events that deal intensively with society's future issues and illuminate different local, national and international perspectives. The kick-off took place on April 10, 2023, followed by a number of other topics such as “Future of Democracy” and “Future of History”, which reflect the understanding of history and democracy in Germany.
The Bauhaus University brings in experiences from the time of National Socialism, the GDR and reunification, all of which are crucial for today's understanding of democracy. A fitting context for this is the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War on May 8, 2023, which marks the liberation of Europe from National Socialism. At the event on May 15th, a panel of experts will gather to further delve into these topics, including Jens-Christian Wagner and Jan von Brevern in the discussion.
Social transformation and architecture
Kuch, who was born in Ostfildern-Ruit in 1979 and studied architecture at the Bauhaus University Weimar from 1999 to 2005, has also dealt with the influences of architecture on social structures. She is co-director of the Bauhaus Institute for the History and Theory of Architecture and Planning and initiated numerous discussions about the role of architecture in society. Architectural sociologists view striking building projects as an expression of social models. This perspective emphasizes that architecture is not just a reflection of existing conditions, but also actively contributes to the production and reproduction of social relationships. bpb.de In this context, the theme is that architecture promotes gender-related debates, especially in the living area, which is considered to be the most common behavior when dealing with built structures.
As Kuch also discusses in her events, this influence of architecture is a crucial factor in the creation of spaces that reflect different social roles and gender relations. The architectural conditions make a significant contribution to how communities structure and experience themselves.
A current dispute about memorial policy
Wagner advocates a memorial policy that not only gives the survivors of National Socialism the opportunity to speak, but also protects them from the conflicts that arise from the political discussion. The memorial estimates the death toll in Buchenwald at around 56,000 and in Mittelbau-Dora at around 20,000. Numerous survivors of Nazi terror will also be present, who in the current situation are particularly sensitive to the political instrumentalization of history.
The events and discourse about architecture and social transformation, as initiated by Kuch, offer an important framework for thinking about the past and at the same time reflecting on the current social situation. They make it possible to recognize connections between historical reflection and the shaping of the future through architecture and social discourse.