City vs. country: How much does the social divide divide us?

City vs. country: How much does the social divide divide us?

On October 15, 2025, there will be a public panel discussion in the Bodenseeforum Konstanz entitled “City, country, division? – What still holds our country together?” take place. The event begins at 7:00 p.m. and highlights the significant differences between urban and rural regions highlighted in the recent election results. These differences are increasingly perceived as signs of a deeper social division that goes beyond party preferences University of Konstanz reported.

The Green Party's top candidate for the 2026 state election, Cem Özdemir, will discuss on the podium together with Claudia Alfons, the non-party mayor of Lindau, Thomas Wagner from Deutschlandfunk and Professor Marius R. Busemeyer, an expert in comparative political economy. Andreas Schneider, a freelance journalist and journalist-in-residence at the cluster, will moderate the event. Entry is free, but tickets are required due to limited space. Entry opens at 6:30 p.m. and the event will also be livestreamed.

Social challenges in Germany

Social division in Germany has increased in recent years. Regional differences in infrastructure, healthcare and education contribute to the fact that life chances vary greatly. There are often greater challenges in neighborhoods with a high proportion of poor children or children with a migrant background. Schools in these districts are struggling with problems such as language deficiencies and an acute shortage of teachers, which have a negative impact on the quality of education. bpb.de highlights that the differences in poverty distribution within cities are often greater than between districts and municipalities.

For example, the SGB II rates vary considerably within German cities. In cities like Cologne and Hamburg there were differences of up to 60 percentage points. It also shows that the distribution of people with non-German citizenship also fluctuates greatly. This is leading to increasing social and ethnic polarization, which is particularly pronounced in cities such as Duisburg and Dortmund.

Causes and effects of polarization

The causes for this social polarization are diverse. Demographic change, different realities of life between urban and rural areas and socio-economic factors play a decisive role. A Europe-wide comparative study has shown that topics such as migration and climate change have high potential for polarization. According to a survey from 2023, 68% of Germans perceive the increasing division in society. MNU-BB emphasizes that the public debate is characterized by hardened fronts that endanger social cohesion.

Social media reinforces this trend as polarizing content generates more engagement than balanced posts. Studies show that 72% of users primarily consume content that confirms their own views. This leads to a distortion of perception and reinforces existing divisions in society.

In order to counteract social polarization, active dialogue and the promotion of education and cultural initiatives are considered necessary. Projects like the “Bridge Builder Project” in Brandenburg show that targeted measures can promote mutual understanding. Structural changes and personal commitment are essential to achieve positive changes and strengthen social cohesion.

The upcoming panel discussion in Konstanz will be a further step towards addressing these significant challenges and finding ways to improve social cohesion. The discussants bring different perspectives to discuss the complex questions surrounding social divisions in Germany.