Lecture Series: Transformation of Statehood and Municipal Infrastructure - Innovation or Blockade?

The lecture series "Transformations and the Urban-Rural Relationship (in Northern Hesse)" focuses on different facets of the socio-ecological turnaround, including the region of Northern Hesse. Every week, two speakers from science and practice will give lectures and discuss with each other. One of the lectures will be devoted to a review of 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 transformation for the region. The new urban-rural conflicts associated with the expansion of renewable energies, the challenges facing the North Hessian economy and the fact that the transformation processes not only have an economic side, but also change the North Hessian party and media landscape will be elaborated.

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

Topic on 29.11.2022: Transformation of statehood and municipal infrastructure - innovation or blockade?
Digitalization is driving transformations in all areas, economy, society and politics. Nevertheless, these are not deterministic processes. Rather, they offer opportunities and necessities for shaping them. Therefore, goal-oriented political control based on a vision of the future is required. Digitization also seems to change the potential for control and the possible instruments. To what extent, then, can we speak of a transformation of statehood? In addition to the control dimension, the design of the performance dimension plays a decisive role for the modern state. How do the infrastructures of services of general interest and their provision change in times of multiple transformations? Not only with regard to (non-) existing digital infrastructures, the question of discrepancies between urban and rural areas in particular arises from the perspective of equal living conditions.

Speakers:  Dr. Samuel Greef (University of Kassel; Department pol. System of the FRG), Manuela Strube (Mayor of the City of Baunatal).