ConTrust Podcast #5 / The Deconstruction and Reproduction of Mistrust with Jonas Wolff
In a world where conflicts seem to escalate repeatedly – whether in the Middle East, Ukraine, or the rising tensions between China and the USA – finding peaceful solutions often appears more challenging than ever. The rise of right-wing populist parties and extremist groups in Europe and beyond is also contributing to an increase in conflicts. But do conflicts necessarily have to be destructive?
ConTrust the podcast is dedicated to the central themes of trust and conflict, exploring how we, as a society, can address the challenges of today’s world. How can we prevent conflicts from escalating into violence and destruction? What alternative, more productive paths are there for conflictual developments and outcomes? And most importantly, how can we ensure that institutions protect us and that society remains stable?
In each episode, we tackle these questions and offer perspectives for a more constructive approach to conflicts and the trust-building mechanisms that can help keep us united during difficult times.
Episode 4 with Dr Irene Weipert-Fenner (Senior Researcher, Project Director of the Research Department Intrastate Conflict at PRIF, Principal Investigator at the Cluster Initiative “ConTrust – Trust in Conflict”) and Prof Thomas Biebricher (Moderation, Heisenberg Professor for Political Science at Goethe at Goethe University, Principal Investigator at the Cluster Initiative “ConTrust – Trust in Conflict”)
News from the research institute
Trump and the Assault on the State
Vortrag von Jeffrey Kopstein Professor der Politikwissenschaft an der University of California, Irvine) über die Gefahr einer Erosion des Staates und Wege gegen den Trend zur Zerstörung.
more information ›Does deliberative democracy have a future in the age of oligarchs, autocrats and patriarchs?
A lecture by Prof. Simone Chambers on June 3
more information ›What can a baroque tapestry tell us about colonial iconography?
Lecture by Cécile Fromone on May 21. The professor at the Department of the History of Art and Architecture at Harvard University, director of the Cooper Gallery at the Hutchins Center and author will talk about the long-forgotten African origins of iconography and its colonial dimension.
more information ›Police practice between state mandate and public criticism. Challenges, coping strategies, risk constellations in the context of police racism
Normative Orders Newsletter 01/25 published
The newsletter from Research Centre Normative Orders collects information on current events, reports, news and publications several times a year. Read the first issue 2025 here.
more information ›"Hitler. History of a Dictator" by Sybille Steinbacher will be published on May 15, 2025
The historian's new book deals with Hitler's origins, the roots of his anti-Semitism and his rise to power.
more information ›Public lecture series “Racism in the police” begins on May 13, 2025
Racism in the police has various dimensions. In the lecture series “Racism in the police - empirical findings, methodological approaches and controversies”, three empirical studies on police work will be presented.
more information ›Edessa (Fourth Century bc to the Eighth Century ad)
Leppin, Hartmut (2025): "Edessa (Fourth Century bc to the Eighth Century ad)". In: Raja, Rubina (ed.): The Oxford Handbook of the Hellenistic and Roman Near East, Oxford Academic, pp. 491-506.
more information ›Shaping the future - between climate change, technology and social responsibility
A new series of lectures by the research center as part of the “Fixing Futures” exhibition on the implications of climate change and technological progress.
more information ›