Constructive Dissent: The Topics of the Amerang Dispute

The Ernst Freiberger Foudation on a regular basis hosts the Amerang Dispute in the Bavarian town Amerang, located in Chiemgau district – the seat of the Freiberger family and the family’s business, the Freiberger Holding. Notable academics and experts from a range of disciplines engage in a constructive debate on society’s most fundamental questions: What are the causes of unemployment? What significance do religions (still) hold? Does the family present a modern model for living? How do people reach contentment, and how important is material prosperity?

4th Amerang Dispute 2009: Less Material Prosperity – And Yet Content? Western industrialised countries place a lot of emphasis on augmenting material prosperity – this is what individuals believe their happiness and social status to depend upon. It is based on continuous economic growth. But how can each individual reach contentment, if, due to global crises, economic growth faces long-term stagnation or even takes a negative development? This issue has been debated on November 20, 2009at the 4th Amerang Dispute, directed by renowned social scientist Prof. Dr. Meinhard Miegel.
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3rd Amerang Dispute, 2009: Family and Love For the majority of people, the family is the most important thing in their life. Starting a family, finding love and a place of comfort and security are wishes that lie at the centre of many people’s goal in life. Thus the family as such still is an up-to-date model for living. But the general framework that this institution is subjected to has become outdated. Demographic and social transformation harbour dramatic consequences for today’s families. What developments do families in Germany face, and how do they compare with the situation of families in other countries?
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2nd Amerang Dispute, 2006/2007: Religion – Humanity’s Blessing or Curse? People are ambivalent towards religion. For many, it is a source of energy. Religion offers stability and a sense of security – that is a blessing. But it can also be subjected to economic or psychological and social concerns and thereby suffer political abuse. In that case religion turns into a curse. Yet, is such a view perhaps simplistic? What is the true potential of religion, is it positive or rather destructive?
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1st Amerang Dispute, 2001: Unemployment in Germany Economic growth is a much-desired development, but it cannot solve all of the problems posed by the job market. It is far more important that those who do have an employment adjust to the changing conditions of economy and society. In this respect, Germans and Europeans have a lot of catching-up to do. They still hold on to views and habits that were formed in the heyday of the industrialised society. Times, however, have changed and – according to Prof. Dr. Meinhard Miegel who wrote a report on this issue – those patterns of behaviour and thinking have become outdated.
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