Lecture series: Understanding transformation. Challenges in Northern Hesse

The lecture series "Transformations and the urban-rural relationship (in North Hesse)" focuses on different facets of the socio-ecological turnaround, including the region of North Hesse. Every week, two speakers from academia and practice will give lectures and discuss with each other. One of the lectures will be dedicated to reviewing the general state of knowledge on individual aspects of the transformation. The second lecture will focus on North Hesse and discuss the challenges arising from the socio-ecological transition for the region. The aim is to work out which new urban-rural conflicts are associated with the expansion of renewable energies, which challenges the North Hessian economy is facing and that the transformation processes not only have an economic side, but are also changing the North Hessian party and media landscape

Organization: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schroeder, Head of the Department of Political System of the Federal Republic of Germany - Statehood in Transition

Topic on 25.10.2022: Understanding transformation. Challenges in North Hesse
The first step is to gain an appropriate understanding of what is meant by transformation and how it can be differentiated conceptually and in terms of content from the dimensions of development, change and processes of change. What are the historical points of reference, current challenges and current megatrends that both urban centers and peripheral regions in Germany are confronted with? To what extent do social, ecological and economic transformation processes shape and change the relationship between urban and rural areas? In order to approach these questions, the major transformation processes of our time will first be brought into the analytical focus in order to reflect on the nature of the North Hessian region with its particular strengths and weaknesses in the context of socio-ecological transformation.
Speakers: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schroeder (University of Kassel & WZB), Kai Georg Bachmann (Regionalmanagement NordHessen)