Prof. Dr. phil. Christoph Meyer

• Vice-Rector for Education at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences – more
• Director of the ‘Institute for Competence, Communication and Languages (IKKS)’ at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences (including General Studies (Studium Generale)) more

• Herbert and Greta Wehner Foundation (Chair, more)
• Friedrich Ebert Foundation e.V. (member of the selection committee)

2026

3 February 2026, 7.00 pm ‘100 Years of Hans-Jochen Vogel’. Lecture at the commemorative evening organised by the Frauenkirche Foundation, the Herbert Wehner Educational Institute, the Herbert and Greta Wehner Foundation and VHS Dresden in the lower church of the Dresden Frauenkirche – information here.

13 March 2026, 1.30 pm ‘Democracy education as a mandate for university teaching? – an example from the East’. Short presentation at the specialist conference ‘Democracy education as a mission for higher education? The responsibility of universities in times of social upheaval?’ organised by the German U15 in cooperation with the Foundation for Innovation in Higher Education in Münster – programme details here.

2025

30 October 2025, 10.00 am ‘Higher education in a fragile democracy – an East German case study and its implications’. Keynote address at the conference ‘Teach4Democracy: The Symposium on Democracy Education, Extremism and Higher Education’ at Ruhr University Bochum – see the announcement here.

12 July 2025, 11.00 am to 12.30 pm “Dresden’s Politician of the Century”. Lecture and neighbourhood tour to mark the 119th birthday of Herbert Wehner – see the announcement
here

24 June 2025, 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm “Madness as the Norm”. Closing lecture for the 7th public lecture series organised by the IKKS at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences – watch the video recording here

2024

October/November 2024, Mittweida, Dresden, Berlin, Kiel, Hamburg, Bremen, Dortmund, Bonn, Moers, Oldenburg, Cloppenburg, Berlin, Dresden, 14 public readings and appearances to promote the biography ‘Greta Wehner. A Woman Steps Out of the Shadows’. For the report on the reading tour: here; for the book: here

26 March 2024, 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm “Battle of the Generations”. Opening lecture for the ‘Controversial Dialogue (Dialog Kontrovers) 2024’ organised by the IKKS at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences – watch the video recording here)

2023

21 March 2023, 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm ‘A turning point – is this for real?’. Opening lecture for the 6th public lecture series organised by the IKKS at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences – (click here for the video recording)

2022

11 October 2022, 5.30 pm to 7.00 pm ‘Dresden Neustadt – Historical and political city tour’. Public event organised by the Herbert-Wehner-Bildungswerk e.V. in Dresden (for the announcement and to register: click here) 

9 July 2022 “The first step anyone can take…”. A historical and political neighbourhood tour following in the footsteps of Herbert Wehner in Dresden-Striesen. Organiser: Herbert and Greta Wehner Foundation (for the report: here)

9 July 2022 “Politics as a profession”. Participation as a panellist at the public discussion event organised by the Herbert-Wehner-Bildungswerk e.V. in Dresden (for information on the organiser: here)  

8 June 2022 ‘Controversial Dialogue (Dialog Kontrovers)’: ‘Surely we’re still allowed to write that – where does the media’s freedom of expression end?’ Panel discussion organised by the IKKS.
6.00 pm in Studio B, Grunert-de-Jacome Building (Block 6), Mittweida University of Applied Sciences. Moderator: Prof. Dr Christoph Meyer; panellists:
Ine Dippmann, Chair of the DJV Saxony; Torsten Kleditzsch, Editor-in-Chief of the *Freie Presse*; Dr Gunter Süß, Director of Studies at the IKKS and media studies scholar. Public event. For the announcement: here.

26 April 2022 “The Cage Is Open”. Participation as a panellist at the opening of the exhibition featuring works by Hans-Hendrik Grimmling in Building 6 (Faculty Industrial Engineering) at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences

25 April 2022 “Fear of the Russians?” Germany’s foreign and security policy after 1945. Lecture. 7.30 pm at Müllerhof e.V., Auensteig 37, 09648 Mittweida. Event organised by the Mittelsachsen Adult Education Centre (programme and event announcement)

26 March 2022 “Herbert Wehner – the SED’s bogeyman”. Lecture. 11.30 am at the Kurt-Schumacher-Haus, Kurt-Schumacher-Allee 10, 20097 Hamburg. Event organised by the Working Group of Formerly Persecuted and Imprisoned Social Democrats as part of its annual conference from 25 to 26 March 2022 (programme and event announcement)

23 March 2022 Controversial Dialogue (Dialog Kontrovers): “Poisoned Debates – A Vibrant Democracy?” Online panel discussion organised by the IKKS. 6.00 pm. Moderator: Prof. Dr Christoph Meyer; panellists: Prof. Dr Thomas Niehr, RWTH Aachen; Dr Roland Löffler, Director of the Saxon State Centre for Political Education; Sabine Friedel, Member of the State Parliament, Parliamentary Secretary of the SPD parliamentary group in the Saxon
State Parliament (Watch the YouTube recording).

2021

4 November 2021 ‘Greta – History – Memories’. A Greta Wehner evening at the Herbert Wehner House. 7.30 pm to 9 pm at the Herbert Wehner House, Devrientstraße 7, 01067 Dresden. Organised by the Herbert Wehner Bildungswerk e.V. (see event announcement)

2 November 2021 “Jürgen Wiebicke: Seven Herring” 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm at the Central Library, Zellescher Weg 18, Dresden. A discussion. A joint event organised by the Saxon State and University Library and Gegen Vergessen – Für Demokratie e.V. 

14 October 2021 “Are we standing on the foundations or on the ruins of the 20th century? Conference on the state of our German culture of remembrance”. 9 am to 5 pm at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, Centre for Media and Social Work. In cooperation with the Saxon State Agency for Political Education (SLpB)

13 October 2021 ‘Controversial Dialogue (Dialog Kontrovers) extra’: ‘A rift in memory. Perspectives on remembrance in Saxony’. Evening panel discussion organised by the IKKS in the TV studio at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, in cooperation with the sLAG. Moderator: Prof. Dr Christoph Meyer; panellists: Prof. Dr Thomas Lindenberger, Hannah Arendt Institute, Dresden; Dr Elke Gryglewski, Lower Saxony Memorials Foundation; Daniela Schmohl, sLAG; Dr Markus Pieper, Managing Director of the Saxon Memorials Foundation. The recording is available to the public on YouTube.

13 October 2021 “2021 Symposium on the Politics of Remembrance: Remembering through Dialogue?! Saxon Remembrance and Commemoration Work – A Review of 30 Years” 10 am to 6 pm at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, Centre for Media and Social Work. In cooperation with the Saxon State Working Group on Coming to Terms with National Socialism (sLAG)

6 October 2021 “Generation Z” – who are they? – or: What makes young people tick today? – Lecture at the 2nd School-Work Network Congress in Annaberg-Buchholz.

15 September 2021 “Election Campaign 3.0 – How politics and the media influence our voting behaviour” – panel discussion on the Bundestag election organised by the Spektrum 3000 project of Treibhaus e.V. Döbeln at the Riesa Multi-Generation Centre (further information here).

2020

25 September 2020 ‘The Wehner Era: Benchmark and Myth’ – lecture at the Friedrich Ebert Foundation’s symposium ‘The History and Political Work of the SPD Parliamentary Group in the Bundestag’ (24–25 September 2020, via Zoom), video of the lecture.

11 July 2021 “Herbert Wehner – Neighbourhood tour in Dresden-Striesen to mark his 115th birthday” – guided tour organised by the Herbert and Greta Wehner Foundation (further information here).

2019

28 November 2019, 7.00 pm ‘Greta’ – preview reading as part of an inter-faculty continuing education programme, at the Deckerberg e.V. club room, Schulstraße 15, Mittweida.

26 November 2019, 7.00 pm ‘The Past Lives On! Dealing with personal experiences and historical events’ – lecture and discussion at the Mittelsachsen Adult Education Centre, Hartha Municipal Library, Markt 2a, www.vhs-mittelsachsen.de

11 November 2019, 7.00 pm ‘In No Man’s Land’. Feature film – followed by a discussion with the audience, ‘Prager Frühling’ cinema bar, Bernhard-Göring-Straße 152, Leipzig more

7 November 2019, 8.00 pm ‘In No Man’s Land’. Feature film – followed by an audience discussion, Metropol Cinema, Zwickauer Straße 11, Chemnitz more

19 October 2019, 9.00 am ‘On the Biography of Greta Wehner, Social Worker’ – lecture as part of the conference ‘Continuities and Discontinuities in Social Work/Social Pedagogy during the Transition from National Socialism to the Post-War Period’ organised by the Working Group on Historical Social Pedagogy/Historical Social Work at the University of Applied Sciences Würzburg from 17 to 19 October 2019, https://fas.fhws.de/

27 March 2019, 2.00 pm Panel discussion ‘Human Beings and Innovation’ as part of ‘The Human Conference’ organised by Volksbank, the City of Mittweida and Mittweida University of Applied Sciences (co-organiser)

21 March 2019, 10.00 am ‘Greta – Biography’ – presentation of the research project as part of the meeting of the Saxony–Saxony-Anhalt–Thuringia Education Foundation Network in Dresden www.netzwerk-stiftungen-bildung.de

19 March 2019, 1.00 pm ‘A Return to the Provinces – Threatened Identities – A Threatening Homeland?’ Lecture on the Identitarian ‘movement’ as part of the conference of the Commission for Adult Education of the Working Group of German Educational Institutions in Vlotho www.adb.de

16 March 2019 “The Baroque and the Night of Bombs – Dresden as a pars pro toto of German remembrance culture” and “Historical culture” – lectures as part of the “Human Rights for Everyone” seminar organised by Riesa Efau in Goßberg (Striegistal) www.riesa-efau.de  

2018

28 October 2018, 11.00 am: Talk at the SPD Göppingen’s ‘Perspektivwechsel: Herbert Wehner’ matinee. Further information

24 October 2018, 2.00 pm ‘Between “Lügenpresse” and “state broadcasting” – why are people losing trust in the media?’ Participation in a panel discussion as part of the 25th Interdisciplinary Scientific Conference in Mittweida.
Watch the video recording

1 September 2018, 10.00 am Symposium ‘The Limits of Tolerance’ at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences in collaboration with the Tolerant Saxony Network – Chair of the symposium.

13 August 2018, 7.00 pm “August Bebel and Social Democracy” – lecture at the Dresden-Plauen SPD local branch.

13 June 2018, 4.30 pm ‘Political Education in Saxony’ – lecture as part of the teacher training seminar ‘Saxony: An Introduction to State Politics’ organised by the Germany and European Policy Education Centre of North Rhine-Westphalia at the Herbert Wehner Education Centre, Kamenzer Straße 12, 01099 Dresden.

30 May 2018, 6.15 pm ‘The Other as a Demon. Political Enemy Stereotypes: The Case of Herbert Wehner’ – lecture as part of the 4th public lecture series organised by the IKKS at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, ‘Evil is Everywhere’. The full lecture is available on YouTube.

15 March 2018, 8.00 pm ‘A politician of the century, a man, a visionary – who was Herbert Wehner?’ Event organised by the Giessen SPD City Association at the Alte Kunsthalle in the Giessen Congress Centre.

10 March 2018, 8.00 pm “Who writes (or records) history? On proper historians, history workshops and official commemorative culture”. Lecture as part of the seminar ‘Human Rights for Everyone! Historical Education and Critique of Racism in a Society of Migration’. Organised by riesa efau. Kultur Forum Dresden, in Goßberg (Striegistal).

2017

19 July 2017, 7.00 pm “Despite All That – Herbert Wehner’s Bitter Struggle Against the Nazis” An event organised by the Förderkreis Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas e.V. as part of the “Worldwide Exile” series Willy-Brandt-Haus, Stresemannstraße 28, 10963 Berlin

11 July 2017, 10.30 am ‘In the footsteps of Herbert Wehner in Striesen’
Historical neighbourhood tour organised by the Herbert and Greta Wehner Foundation to mark the 111th anniversary of Herbert Wehner’s birth. Meeting point: Herbert Wehner Memorial, Spenerstraße/Kyffhäuserstraße, 01309 Dresden

21 June 2017 “Who governs democracy?”
Lecture and discussion with former Federal Minister Franz Müntefering as part of the IKKS’s “Controversial Dialogue (Dialog Kontrovers)” series of events at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences

20 June 2017, 6.30 pm ‘Spy in the Chancellery – A staged reading’ Event organised by the SPD parliamentary group in the German Bundestag, Scheidemannstraße/South Entrance, 10557 Berlin Information and registration

17 June 2017, 4.00 pm “The Scandinavian Model – Role Model or Myth?” Public discussion event organised by the Herbert-Wehner-Bildungswerk e.V., Haus an der Dreikönigskirche, Hauptstraße 23, 01097 Dresden Information and registration

17 May 2017 “What changes do we need to make to encourage students at universities of applied sciences to apply for more scholarships?”
Input for the workshop for new student representatives and members of the selection committee of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Berlin. More

27 April 2017, 6.00 pm ‘The Life of a Branded Man’
A Herbert Wehner Evening organised by the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag Lecture and discussion with Thomas Oppermann and Helga Ziemann, German Bundestag, Reichstag Building, Scheidemannstraße 10557 Berlin Report and lectures

22 March 2017, 7.30 pm “Dr Fritz M. Bauer – A Lawyer Driven by a Sense of Freedom and Advocate for the Survivors”
Moderation of the book launch and lecture by PD Dr Irmtrud Wojak – Organisers: Cathedral Forum of the Diocese of Dresden-Meissen and the Friends of the Dresden Synagogue Association (Freundeskreis Dresdner Synagoge e.V.) Cathedral House, Schloßstraße 24, 01067 Dresden

2016

17 September 2016 ‘Local Integration – Welcome Initiatives in Central Saxony’
Moderation of the symposium organised by Treibhaus Döbeln e.V. and the ‘Welcome to Döbeln’
initiative at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences 

15 September 2016 “Dresden’s Neustadt – vibrant, colourful, political”
A city tour organised by the Herbert Wehner Educational Institute,
Kamenzer Straße 12, 01099 Dresden Information and registration

9 July 2016 “Herbert Wehner – a passionate parliamentarian.
Marking the 110th anniversary of his birth on 11 July 2016”
Presentation at the discussion event organised by the Herbert Wehner Educational Institute at the Kulturrathaus Dresden Text of the presentation

19 May 2016 “The b33 construction project – planning collectively, building together and then living there”
Lecture and discussion as part of “WeltWeitSichten”, a series of events organised by the Ökumenisches Informationszentrum e.V. in Dresden

30 March 2016 “No place – ever? The development of socialism from science to utopia”
Opening event of the 3rd public lecture series at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences on the topic of “Concrete Utopias” Text of the lecture

2 March 2016 “Dresden – a cause for mourning?
Historical myths and political culture” Lecture and discussion as part of the “Stadtgespräche” organised by the SüdPol Dresden Citizens’ Office

2015

2 December 2015 – Loss – Memory.
The year 1945 as a generational issue. Lecture as part of the Mittweida Citizens’ Academy

10 November 2015 – Rupture – Fire – Everything Up in the Air?
Stormy November: Moderator of the panel discussion with Dr. Eva-Maria Stange and Prof. Dr Dr h.c. C. Wolfgang Müller at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences. The full event on YouTube

1 September 2015 – Loss – Memory. The year 1945 as a generational
issue. Lecture at the 12th Saxon Senior Citizens’ Day on 1 September 2015 at the Military History Museum in Dresden

5 June 2015 – Working with the ‘Generational Slide Rule’. A methodological approach to the problem of generations
. Lecture as part of the Night of Sciences at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences

2014

11 July 2014 – Who was Wehner really?
Introductory talk at the discussion event ‘The public image of politicians and reality’ organised by the Herbert Wehner Educational Foundation at the Kulturrathaus in Dresden. Read more

12 March 2014 Launch of the 2nd public lecture series at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences on the topic “What is modern?” 

2013

8 October 2013 – “Herbert Wehner and German Social Democracy”
Lecture and discussion event at the Georg Landgraf Forum, Chemnitz more

18 June 2013 – In the Struggle Against Division – Sixty Years Since 17 June, Fifty Years Since Kennedy’s Visit
. Slide show with discussion at the ‘Goldene Sonne’ Cultural Centre, Schneeberg (Erzgebirge)

21 May 2013 – Herbert Wehner and the Historical Perspective of German Social Democracy
Lecture as part of a seminar organised by the Herbert-Wehner-Bildungswerk e.V. to mark the 150th anniversary of social democracy in Dresden

17 May 2013 – Saxony – The political and social culture of an East German federal state
Lecture and discussion as part of a conference organised by the Educational Institute of the Humanist Union in Aue

7 May 2013 – Study Abroad – Funding Opportunities from Organisations Supporting Talented
Students Lecture as part of the 3rd International Day at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences

29 April 2013 – The Äußere Neustadt – A historical and political city tour
Guided tour with a lecture for the Herbert Wehner Educational Institute e.V.

19 March 2013 – Democracy
in Saxony: Inaugural lecture at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, Faculty Social Sciences in Roßwein
. For the lecture transcript: more

2012

2 November 2012 – ‘Shaping the Future Together: City’ – Forum organised by the ‘Neues Wohnen in Dresden’ network at the Sächsische Aufbaubank (SAB). Keynote presentation: Case study: ‘The b33 building cooperative in Dresden’ – followed by participation in a panel discussion on
communal building and living
About the ‘Neues Wohnen in Dresden’ network: more About b33: more

30 October 2012 – Mittweida Media Forum 2012 – Mittweida
University of Applied Sciences Participation in the panel discussion: ‘Studying in Premium Mode – Supporting Talented Students in Journalism’
About the event: here
Interested in funding from the Friedrich Ebert Foundation? More

27 October 2012 – Dresden
Jewish Music and Theatre Week: Moderated the film discussion ‘Jalda and Anna – The First Generation Afterwards’ at the Casablanca arthouse cinema – more – Joint event with ‘Gegen Vergessen – Für Demokratie e.V., Regional Working Group Saxony’
About Jewish Week – more Interested in the film? – more

15–17 October 2012 – International Week/Community Week for the Master’s programmes in Community Work at Bergen University College (Norway), Department of Social Education and Social Work
“Community
Work/Community Development” Lecture topic: Political Failure and Social Tasks. A Glance at Right-Wing Extremism in Germany
. Read the report on the Bergen University College website here
. More