Department of Political Theory and History of Ideas
The Department of Political Theory and History of Ideas is dedicated to the theoretical foundations of politics in teaching and research. Systematic perspectives are combined with perspectives from the history of ideas. A particular focus is on aspects of constitutionalism, basic political concepts and the current plurality and controversial nature of political forms of order.
- Find out more about our team here.
Habilitation Process of Dr. Verena Frick completed successfully (07.2025)
July 2, 2025 | Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
On July 2, Dr. Verena Frick successfully completed her habilitation process with a trial lecture. This was preceded by a specialist lecture and the successfully reviewed habilitation thesis on “The Democratic City.” The Faculty of Social Sciences at Georg August University in Göttingen has awarded her the title of private lecturer with venia legendi in political science.The Political Theory and History of Ideas department warmly congratulates PD Dr. Frick on her habilitation.University Association Dissertation Prize for Dr. Tobias Adler-Bartels (06.2025)
March 20, 2025 | University of Erfurt
The University Association of Göttingen has awarded the 2024 Dissertation Prize to Dr. Tobias Adler-Bartels for his dissertation on “Radical Conservatism and the Liberal Question – Morphology and Radicalization of Conservative Ideology in Germany from the Vormärz to the Weimar Republic.” The prize is endowed with EUR 5,000. His work was selected as one of two outstanding dissertations university-wide. In addition to Dr. Adler-Bartels, Dr. Shayan Hundrieser from the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science also received the award. The award ceremony is planned to take place during the 2025 Academic Annual Celebration. The Political Theory and History of Ideas department warmly congratulates Dr. Adler-Bartels on this special award.
Lecture on "Stadt-Öffentlichkeit" at the conference of the DVPW Theory Section (03. 2025)
March 20, 2025 | University of Erfurt
On March 20, Dr. Verena Frick will give a lecture on "Stadt-Öffentlichkeit. Democratic potentiality and current threats to urban public space". This year's section conference is dedicated to the overarching theme of “Political Public Spheres: Structures” and will take place at the University of Erfurt. Click here for the program.
New publications on conservatism and Ko(h)lonisation (03.2025)
On February 26, 2025, a collective review by Tobias Adler-Bartels was published in the Politische Vierteljahresschrift. The review entitled “Ideologische Konflikte und historische Konstellationen - Forschungsperspektiven auf den Konservatismus” deals with current research perspectives from various publications on conservatism and thus highlights various ideological conflicts and relevant historical constellations. In March 2025, Merkur published an essay by Tobias Adler-Bartels entitled “Nach der Ko(h)lonisation” on German unity and the associated asymmetries between the old and new federal states.
Lecture on radical and moderate conservatism in the early Federal Republic (02.2025)
February 27, 2025 | Hamburg Institute for Social Research
On February 27, Tobias Adler-Bartels gave a lecture entitled "The Contested Boundaries of German Conservatism. Radical and Moderate Conservatives in the Early Federal Republic" on the topic of radical and moderate conservatism in the early Federal Republic. The lecture took place as part of the workshop “Politics of Demarcation and the Radical-Right in Post-War Europe: Defining what is Right” at the Hamburg Institute for Social Research. The workshop aimed to examine the demarcation strategies within the radical right as a political movement, in particular the interplay of self-positioning and external attribution, in order to understand how, when and why these demarcations emerged, changed or disappeared, what functions they fulfilled and how they reacted to symbolic “cordons saintaires”.
Bookmarket on the crisis of liberal democracy (02.2025)
February 5, 2025 | 16:15 to 17:45 | Foyer of the ZHG
The master seminar “New books on the crisis of liberal democracy” by Prof. Dr. Tine Stein cordially invites you to a bookmarket, which will take place on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, from 16:15 to 17:45 in the Foyer of the ZHG. The event will present selected books on the crisis of liberal democracy with posters, short lectures and personal discussions. Visitors will have the opportunity to enter into a lively exchange with the students of the seminar. Catering will be provided. We look forward to lively participation!Pope and Time - A Symposium with Otto Kallscheuer (01.2025)
January 30, 2025 | Karl Rahner Academy
On January 30, 2025, the symposium jointly organized by the Karl Rahner Academy/Cologne and the Department of Political Theory and History of Ideas/University of Göttingen on Otto Kallscheuer's work "Pope and Time. Heilsgeschichte und Weltpolitik" took place, in media partnership with the Gerda Henkel Foundation's science portal L.I.S.A., which recorded the event. Otto Kallscheuer's work has put the debate about the Catholic Church and the papacy on a new footing. The Catholic Church is presented here as a unique religious community and institution: endangered, paradoxical, anachronistic and at the same time resilient, intent on unity and indispensable as an actor in world history. Prof. Dr. Stein discussed problem-generating solutions for the church's relationship to modernity in a forum together with other experts from the fields of theology, history and political science. A recording of the symposium can be accessed here.
Ukrainian Ambassador Oleksiy Makeyev in Göttingen (01.2025)
January 24, 2025 | Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
On January 24, 2025, a group of interested students and lecturers from sociology, political science and international law at the University of Göttingen met with the Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany, Oleksiy Makeyev. On this day, the ambassador made several appointments in Göttingen and the surrounding area, arranged by Viola von Cramon, former Member of the Bundestag and former Member of the European Parliament, and gladly accepted the invitation of the Institute of Political Science. Moderated by Prof. Tine Stein, the ambassador willingly answered questions from students and lecturers. The topics addressed included aspects of the conditions for the success of sanctions policy, democratic self-government in Ukraine as well as the willingness of the German population to support Ukraine and how politics can raise awareness of the “turning point”. The attendees thanked Ambassador Makeyev for taking the time for the discussion and for explaining his positions and perspectives with great applause.Lecture on "Urban Citizenship and National Membership" (01.2025)
January 22, 2025 | Johanna Quandt Young Academy Frankfurt
On January 22, Dr. Verena Frick gave a lecture on “Urban Citizenship and National Membership” as part of a Study Day at the Johanna Quandt Young Academy Frankfurt on the topic of “Socio-political complexities of public spaces”.
Board of the German Political Science Association (DVPW) (01.2025)
Our colleague Dr. Verena Frick was elected to the board of the German Political Science Association for the 2024-2027 term of office. In this context, she will be particularly concerned with the interests of Q-scientists and the international networking of the DVPW. Further information can be found on the DVPW website.
Vigilance and Resilience: Demands on Democracy in the Polycrisis (12.2024)
December 16, 2024 | Technische Universität Berlin
Prof. Dr. Tine Stein gave a lecture on December 16, 2024 at the Technical University of Berlin as part of the lecture series "Demokratie, Freiheit, Willbildung" at the Technical University of Berlin as part of the lecture series “Demokratie, Freiheit, Willensbildung”. As part of the lecture, she presented the challenges of democracy in times of multiple crises and explained the concept of resilient democracy.
Resilience and Resilience: Democracy in the Polycrisis (12.2024)
December 12, 2024 | Hochschule für Polizei und Verwaltung Nordrhein-Westfalen
Prof. Dr. Tine Stein gave an online lecture on December 12, 2024 at the North Rhine-Westphalia University of Applied Sciences for Police and Administration on the topic of "Resilience and Resilience: Demands on Democracy in the Polycrisis”. In her lecture, she presented the concept of resilient democracy as a response to the current polycrisis. She also explained how political-institutional and ethical requirements must work together to make democracy resilient in the face of multiple challenges such as the war in Ukraine, the climate crisis and the rise of authoritarian populism.
Hubertus Buchstein: Enduring Enmity (12. 2024)
December 10, 2024 | 18:00 | ZHG 003
As part of the “Forum on Political Theory” by Prof. Dr. Tine Stein, we cordially invite you to a public book discussion on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 at 18:00 in ZHG 003. Prof. Dr. Hubertus Buchstein (University of Greifswald) will present his new book, Enduring Enmity: The Story of Otto Kirchheimer and Carl Schmitt, and discuss it in conversation with Prof. Dr. Ulrich K. Preuß. We look forward to an exciting exchange on this intellectual constellation, which promises important insights for both legal and political science. Find more information here.
Dr. Sven Altenburger honored for dissertation (11.2024)
November 29, 2024 | Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
On November 29, 2024, our former chair member Dr. Sven Altenburger received the award for the best dissertation in the doctoral program Social Sciences at the academic ceremony 2024 of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the Georg-August-University Göttingen. He shares the prize with Lucas Cé Sangalli. The ceremony was introduced by Vice President for Studies and Teaching Prof. Dr. Max Wardetzky and Prof. Dr. Tine Stein. Prof. Dr. Theres Matthieß then gave the keynote speech. The ceremony was accompanied by music from the duo “Entre-Nous”.
Lecture at the academic memorial service for Prof. Dr. Christian Polke (11.2024)
November 28, 2024 | Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Prof. Dr. Tine Stein gave a lecture on “Expressive Politics in the Age of Growing Political Unrest” at the academic commemoration for Prof. Dr. Christian Polke at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen on November 28, 2024. The lecture thus also ties in with the research interests of Prof. Polke, who dealt intensively with questions of political theology.Panel discussion "Wehrhafte Demokratie - Was ist das eigentlich?" (11.2024)
11 November 2024 | Humboldt-Universität Berlin
Prof. Dr. Tine Stein took part in the panel discussion "Wehrhafte Demokratie - Was ist das eigentlich? " of the Law and Society Institute of the Humboldt University Berlin. She provided impulses from the history of ideas and political theory on the foundations of defensive democracy.
Exam "Introduction to Political Theory and the History of Ideas" (11. 2024)
The results of the second date of the exam "Introduction to Political Theory and History of Ideas" have now been published, you can access the grade distribution key here.Lecture at the Maison Heinrich Heine in Paris (11.2024)
November 7, 2024 | Maison Heinrich Heine, Paris
Tine Stein will give a lecture on November 7, 2024 in Paris at the Maison Heinrich-Heine on the ethical and political preconditions of the democratic constitutional state in the thought of Ernst-Wolfgang Böckenförde on the occasion of the publication of a new book on Böckenförde by Sylvie Le Grand Ticchi (Ernst-Wolfgang Böckenförde, médiateur entre catholicisme et social-démocratie). Unfortunately, the lecture had to be canceled at short notice due to illness.
Lecture in Switzerland (11.2024)
November 7, 2024 | Franklin University Switzerland
Martin Beckstein will give a lecture entitled "Responses to Sub-replacement Fertility in Right-wing, Autocratic, and Liberal-democratic Discourses" at Franklin University Switzerland on November 7.
A democratic constitution for the Roman Catholic Church? (11.2024)
November 6, 2024 | Ruhr-Universität Bochum
On November 6, 2024, Tine Stein will give a lecture entitled "Eine demokratische Verfassung für die römisch-katholische Kirche?" in the context of the event series "Verfassungstheoretische Gespräche BO/BN" at Ruhr-Universität Bochum. Revolutionary millimeters on the synodal path". Unfortunately, the lecture had to be canceled at short notice due to illness.
Panel discussion on the relationship between religion and the Basic Law (10.2024)
October 30, 2024 | Haus am Dom, Frankfurt am Main
On October 30, 2024, Prof. Dr. Tine Stein took part in a panel discussion on the topic "What do Halacha, Christian law and Sharia law say about democracy and the rule of law? 75 years of the Basic Law and the relationship between religion and the Basic Law" at Haus am Dom in Frankfurt am Main. The event was organized by the Hessische Landeszentrale für Politische Bildung and the Verein "Forum für Interkulturellen Dialog". The discussion was also published in full on YouTube.
Presentation at the conference "Democratic Postliberalism" (10.2024)
October 25-26, 2024 | Technical University of Darmstadt and Ruhr University Bochum
At the conference "Democratic post-liberalism? Attempts at social-ethical clarification in times of crisis of 'liberal democracy' from 25 to 26 October 2024 at the Technical University of Darmstadt and Ruhr University Bochum, Prof. Dr. Tine Stein gave a lecture on the topic "A critical review: Was there a 'good old days' of German democracy?". She addressed the success of the Federal Republic as a democratic constitutional state by balancing the limitations of democratic theory with the opportunities it offered, but also criticized the fact that these limitations were lost sight of.
"Politics in the polycrisis" (09.2024)
September 24 to 27, 2024 | Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
The 29th Congress "Politics in the Polycrisis" of the German Political Science Association will take place this year from September 24 to 27 at the University of Göttingen.
- Martin Beckstein will be represented with two lectures. First, on September 25, he will answer the question: "Can a revolution be conservative?" as part of the "Conservatism" panel. Beckstein will then speak on the panel "Digitalization and Autocracy" on the topic of "State-Run Dating Apps: Navigating the Thin Line Between Social Engineering and Digital Control."
- Verena Frick is represented at the congress with a roundtable and a panel. Together with Svenja Ahlhaus, Sonja Buckel, Andreas Paulus and Nora Markard, she will discuss questions of legitimacy and democracy in strategic litigation in the roundtable "Lawsuits in Crisis" on Thursday. On Friday, together with Marlon Barbehön, she will lead a panel on "Urban Dimensions of the Polycrisis".
- Tine Stein is organizing the roundtable "In the Crisis of Constitutional Democracy: What Can We Learn from the Göttingen Seven and Other 'Political Professors'?" together with Andreas Busch. (input and moderation). Together with Monika Oberle, she also organized the panel "Wehrhaftigkeit der Demokratie in der Polykrise - Politiktheoretische und politikdidaktische Perspektiven", in which she (together with Monika Oberle) also gave a lecture.
"We're exploring the ethics of online dating." (09.2024)
September 12 to 13, 2024 | University of Leeds
As part of the workshop "Ethical Dating Online", which will take place from September 12 to 13 at the University of Leeds, Martin Beckstein will give a lecture entitled "Designing Ethical Dating Apps" together with Bouke de Vries from the University of Ghent.
The STATE (Issue H2): "Much does not help much. On the critique of ecological constitutional policy" (09.2024)
Prof. Dr. Tine Stein has published an essay in the latest issue of the journal "Der STAAT" (issue 2, 2024) on the topic "Viel hilft nicht viel. On the critique of ecological constitutional policy". In her essay, she discusses the proposal by legal scholar Prof. Dr. Jens Kersten to subject the Basic Law to an ecological transformation.
New book publication: Synod as an opportunity (09.2024)
Tine Stein has published a book on the institutionalization of consultation processes in the Catholic Church together with colleagues from the field of theology: "Synode als Chance. On the performativity of synodal events". In an essay, she examines the question of the extent to which the current synodal process can be understood as reform, transformation or revolution.Access to transcendence (08.2024)
In the podcast "mit herz & haltung" , Tine Stein spoke about the current difficulties of the Catholic Church as an institution of salvation.
What makes a resilient democracy? (08.2024)
Tine Stein gave an interview on the need for a resilient democracy as part of the "Pillars of Democracy" series at the University of Regensburg.
Review (08.2024)
Martin Beckstein's review of the book "Grundlagen der Politischen Theorie - Ein Überblick" by Heidelberg political scientist Michael Haus has been published in the journal "Politische Vierteljahrsschrift".
Completion of a doctoral project (07.2024)
On 16 July, Tobias Adler-Bartels successfully defended his dissertation "Radical Conservatism and the Liberal Question - Morphology and Radicalization of Conservative Ideology in Germany from the Vormärz to the Weimar Republic" in the disputation. In addition to the first supervisor Tine Stein, the examination committee also included Prof. Dr. Hubertus Buchstein (University of Greifswald) and Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Knelangen (CAU Kiel)."Democracy in transition." (07.2024)
On July 12, 2024, Martin Beckstein will give a lecture in Murnau am Staffelsee as part of a conference of the Bavarian Business Association to the managing directors of the vbw member associations on "Democracy in Transition. Between ungovernability and overcontrol." will hold.
Democracy finds the city (07.2024)
On July 6, Verena Frick gave a lecture as part of the Freiburg Saturday University of the Studium Generale on the topic "Demokratie findet Stadt. On the spatiality of democracy and democratic practice in the city". The video of the entire lecture is available here.
Lecture on the topic "Liberal democracy under pressure" (06.2024)
June 11, 2024 | University of Regensburg
On June 11, 2024, Prof. Dr. Stein gave a lecture as part of the lecture series "Liberal Democracy under Pressure: Theoretical Foundations and Current Challenges" at the University of Regensburg. In her lecture, she presented the demands on democracy in the present with regard to resilience and resistance.Resilience as a hallmark of a resilient democracy (05.2024)
May 29, 2024 | Lower Saxony/Bremen regional group of the SPD parliamentary group
On May 29, 2024, Tine Stein will inform the Lower Saxony/Bremen regional group of the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag about "Resilience as a hallmark of a resilient democracy".
Workshop discussion "Can the Judiciary Defend Democracy?" (05.2024)
May 21, 2024 | Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
On May 21, Campbell MacGillivray will present the results of his dissertation research at the workshop discussion of the Integrative Research Institute Law & Society (LSI) at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. You can find the link to the discussion here.
Discussion round in Slovakia (05.2024)
May 7, 2024 | Study trip of the Hans Böckler Foundation
On May 7, Campbell MacGillivray moderated a discussion with Professor Emília Sičáková-Beblavá (Institute of Public Policy, Comenius University) and Dr. Max Steuer (Department of Political Science, Comenius University and 'Talking Courts' project coordinator) as part of a study trip organized by the Hans Böckler Foundation. The discussion in front of a multidisciplinary audience of scholars covered a wide range of topics, including the recent history of Slovakia and the impact of non-democratic practices, the establishment of the Slovak Republic in 1993 after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, the impact of the dissolution of Czechoslovakia on the text and practice of the Slovak Constitution, and the implementation of government policies since then.
"Pope and time" (05.2024)
May 2, 2024 | Haus am Dom, Frankfurt am Main
Together with the political scientist Claus Leggewie (Justus Liebig University Giessen), Tine Stein will discuss the author Otto Kallscheuer's new book "Papst und Zeit. Heilsgeschichte und Weltpolitik". The event will take place on 02.05.2024 at Haus am Dom in Frankfurt. Further information on the event can be found here.
"Equality before God and equality before the law." (04.2024)
April 22, 2024 | Duisburg Adult Education Center
Tine Stein gave a lecture entitled "Gleichheit vor Gott und Gleichheit vor dem Recht - Religiöse Voraussetzungen des freiheitlichen Verfassungsstaates" on April 22, 2024 as part of the lecture series organized by the association "Gegen Vergessen - Für Demokratie" and the Duisburg Adult Education Centre. On this occasion, the Rheinische Post published an interview with Tine Stein: "Der Staat und die vorletzten Dinge", which you can read here.
"Should we dare less democracy?" (04.2024)
The journal "INDES - Zeitschrift für Politik und Gesellschaft" recently published "Should we dare less democracy? Democratic self-destruction and the necessary evil of politics", a new article by Martin Beckstein was recently published.Contribution to the TWIND sub-project Civic education (03.2024)
Martin Beckstein contributed "Michael Oakeshott" to the media package for prospective teachers "Political education in challenging times" of the TWIND Political Education project.
New publication: The Idea of a Democratic City: An Attempt at Typology (03.2024)
The anthology "Reclaiming Democracy in Cities" has just been published by Routledge. Verena Frick is represented in it with an article on "The Idea of a Democratic City: An Attempt at Typology". The article develops a typology of current ideals of the democratic city and analyzes them in terms of their emancipatory potential. The entire anthology can be accessed here.ECPR Joint Sessions of Workshops Lüneburg (03.2024)
March 25 to 28, 2024 | Leuphana University of Lüneburg
Our colleague Verena Frick was represented with a paper and presentation at this year's ECPR Joint Sessions at Leuphana University Lüneburg. As part of the workshop "Beyond Territory and Sovereignty: The City in Political Theory", she presented an excerpt from her habilitation project on "Political Membership in a Community of Strangers: The Distinctiveness of Urban Citizenship".
What we mean when we say democracy. (02.2024)
February 20, 2024 | Domberg Academy
On 20.02.24, the event "Church and democracy: participation of the faithful - still a learning field?" , took place at the Domberg Academy, at which Tine Stein provided input for a discussion with theologian Johanna Rahner (professor at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen) and Gabriele Triebel (member of the Bündnis90/Die Grünen parliamentary group in the Bavarian state parliament and spokesperson for education, religion and remembrance culture) with "Demokratie - was wir meinen, wenn wir Demokratie sagen, oder: Formen, Konzepte, Realitäten".
Breakfast and defensive democracy (02.2024)
February 15, 2024 | Georg-August-University Göttingen
At the "Parliamentary Breakfast" at the University of Göttingen on February 15, 2024, Tine Stein spoke with members of parliament from Lower Saxony about "Resilience as a hallmark of a resilient democracy" (online event).
Laudatio on Dr. Gerhard Timm (01.2024)
January 15, 2024 | Federal Association of Non-statutory Welfare
On 15.01.2024, the Federal Association of Non-statutory Welfare said goodbye to its long-serving Managing Director Dr. Gerhard Timm. Tine Stein gave a laudatory speech on this occasion. You can find out more here.
Dr. Nicolás Fraile from Argentina as visiting scientist at the department (01.2024)
In December 2023 and January 2024, Dr. Nicolás Fraile from the University of Buenos Aires - Gino Germani Research Institute (Department of Political Theory) was a guest researcher at the Department of Political Theory and History of Ideas. Dr. Fraile conducts research on democratic theory and political theory, in particular Weimar political theory and the compatibility of public administration and democracy. In Göttingen, he presented the results of his dissertation on Hermann Heller and the problem of political unity and researched the extensive archive holdings of the SUB Göttingen. He also discussed current political developments in Argentina with students as part of PD Dr. Martin Beckstein's seminar "Theories of Democratic Regression".
New article in the journal Rechtsgeschichte - Legal History (01.2024)
The recently published volume 31 (2023) of the journal "Rechtsgeschichte - Legal History" contains an author-meets-critics forum on Dieter Grimm's book "Die Historiker und die Verfassung". Verena Frick is represented in it with an article on the question "Die Konstitutionalisierung der Politik. Also a politicization of the constitution?".Contact
Mrs. Prof. Dr. Tine Stein
Incumbent of the Chair
Institute of Political Science
Platz der Göttinger Sieben 3
37073 Göttingen
Tel. +49 551 39 26636
tine.stein(at)uni-goettingen.de
Office Hour via Secretariat
Mrs. Stella Peter
Secretariat
Platz der Göttinger Sieben 3
D-37073 Göttingen
Tel. +49 551 39 26633
sekretariat.stein(at)uni-goettingen.de
Hours: Mo - Fr. 9.00 - 13.00 Uhr