Meinhard Miegel to Direct the Amerang Dispute

Berliner Morgenpost, October 14, 2009
Social scientist from Bonn assumes a leading role in the Ernst Freiberger Foundation – “family and love” at the core of two-year research project – kick-off with federal minister of family affairs Ursula von der Leyen on February 6 in Amerang.

Berlin/Amerang. The renowned social scientist and outspoken social critic Meinhard Miegel is the new director and head of programme of the Amerang Dispute, held by the Ernst Freiberger Foundation, Berlin. His first official appearance will be the event kicking off the 3rd Amerang Dispute on February 6, 2009 in Amerang, Chiemgau, together with federal minister of family affairs Ursula von der Leyen. For two years, the Dispute will focus on an international research project called “family and love” and investigate the future of the family in a world without economic growth. This project is headed by Hans Bertram, sociologist and psychologist at the Humbolt University in Berlin.

Miegel has close ties to the Ernst Freiberger Foundation and is renowned to be one of Germany’s most disputatious academics. The first Amerang Dispute, already directed by him in 2001, dealt with the issue of unemployment. Meinhard Miegel became known nationwide because of his research at the Institute for Economics and Society (IWG) in Bonn. Apart from directing the IWG, a privately funded research institute, he was also an extracurricular professor at the University of Leipzig until 2008. In October 2007, he became chairman of the board of the foundation “Denkwerk Zukunft – Stiftung kulturelle Erneuerung”.

In his research, Meinhard Miegel focuses on how the general framework of economy and society changes. His hypotheses concerning demographic change and its consequences on the social welfare systems gave rise to controversial debate. His books “Die deformierte Gesellschaft” and “Epochenwende” became bestsellers.

The „Amerang Dispute“ is an initiative of the Ernst Freiberger Foundation that had been established in 1994 by Ernst Freiberger, an entrepreneur from Amerang, Chiemgau. It conceives of itself as a bridge between science and society, engaging domestic and international experts in order to develop solutions for pressing social challenges. The second Amerang Dispute on “Religion – Humanity’s Blessing or Curse?” caused quite a stir. It was held under the patronage of Roman Herzog, former President of the Federal Republic of Germany.

In addition to the Dispute, the foundation erects monuments on the “Road of Recollection” at the Spreebogen, Berlin, and thereby pays homage to exceptional personalities of the first half of the 20th century. They are “heroes without a sword” – individuals who have accomplished exceptional achievements and whose bearing remained admirable even in extremely difficult times. Among them are writer and Nobel Prize winner Thomas Mann, entrepreneur and politician Walther Rathenau or Georg Elser who carried out an assassination attempt on Hitler. The “Sunflower Meeting Point”, also located at the Spreebogen in Berlin-Moabit, encourages and supports elderly people to remain active and to lead an independent, fulfilling life for the longest time possible.

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