Jenseits der Parolen © Ricardo Roa
© Ricardo Roa

Creative dissent
 Stir it up!

What to do when inner values and outer reality can no longer be reconciled? Ignore, despair, laugh at, protest? Gegenüber sheds light on the power of creativity and forms of resistance — and asks: When is the right moment to change the world? A transatlantic journey through society, history, and resistance.
A picture collage of a statue with a face and a hand next to a dog in a bishop's coat © Ricardo Roa

Stir it up
 Of Idiots and Other Saints

Nonsense as a radical strategy of unyielding resistance to social grievances — an uncompromising form of protest? Hardly a novelty. Leonhard Emmerling explores the revolutionary tactics of history’s most defiant nonsense-makers.

Dr. Leonhard Emmerling

Simone Jung: Pop journalism as intellectual protest © Ricardo Roa

Pop journalism as intellectual protest
 “As long as it pops”

Emerging in the 1980s, pop journalism evolved into an intellectual form of protest, challenging social norms and serving as a subversive cultural force.

Dr. Simone Jung

„Die Kunst muss in das Leben übergehen.“ © Ricardo Roa

Situationist International
 “Art must merge with life”

In the midst of post-war Europe, a movement of artists and students emerged that used exceptionally creative ideas to show that anti-capitalist resistance could be fun. It became one of the most influential political movements of the 20th century.

Michael Krell

150 years Thomas Mann © Autograf
© Autograf

Literature
 150 years of Thomas Mann

Thomas Mann was one of Germany's most important writers, a Nobel Prize winner and political commentator. He left behind an enduring literary legacy. On the occasion of his 150th birthday, we take a look at his life and work.
Thomas Mann 1916, portrait at desk, colored Photo (detail): © picture alliance / ullstein bild

Celebrating 150 years of Thomas Mann
 Thomas Mann Revisited

Why is Thomas Mann still regarded today as one of the most important German storytellers of the 20th century? Literary scholar and Thomas Mann expert Friedhelm Marx offers insights into the life and legacy of this iconic author.

Friedhelm Marx

Thomas Mann Photo (detail): © picture alliance/United Archives | 91050/United_Archives/TopFoto

Mann's life
Nobel laureate in literature and “late” democrat

Thomas Mann wrote great literature all his life. Almost three decades after the publication of "Buddenbrooks", the writer received the Nobel Prize for Literature for his debut novel on 10th December 1929.

Stefanie Grossmann

Illustrations of Mann's novel characters: (from left) Felix Krull, Hans Castorp, Sesemi Weichbrod, Imma Spoelmann Illustration: © Beatrice Davies

Psychological test
 Which Thomas Mann novel character are you?

Impostors, dreamers, unconventional free spirits and crazy dogs. There are many exciting characters in Thomas Mann's novels. Which character are you? Find out with our psychological test.

Marta Krus

Bea Davies

Popcast #7/2025 Enji Enji © Hanne Kaunicnic
Enji © Hanne Kaunicnic

Current Music From Germany
 Popcast #7/2025

Listen to the latest music from Germany in our pop-cast: This month with Enji, Stimming and others!
Solidarität © Ricardo Roa
© Ricardo Roa

Solidarity and universalism
 Double Exposure

In today's individualized societies, there is a tension between solidarity and universalism. The challenge is to respect diversity and individual freedom without losing a sense of shared responsibility and belonging. Only this double exposure makes it possible for people to stand up for each other in solidarity and respect universal values despite their differences. 
Key art gegenüber Article Double Exposure shows an illustration with a storefront church © Ricardo Roa

Storefront Churches
 Prayers between Donut Shops and Laundromats

Drawn in by bargain real estate, they’re wedged into bustling corner plazas or nestled between vacant retail spaces – storefront churches. The sacred and the profane in a marriage of convenience. But they are far more than just austere places of worship, as our author had to realize.

Kathrin Buschmann

Titelbild Gegenüber Artikel Solidaritätslied zeigt eine Collage mit Eisler, Tonträger und Noten © Ricardo Roa

Solidarity Song
Whose world is the world?

Written for the film “Kuhle Wampe”, the “Solidaritätslied” (Solidarity Song) stands as a timeless anthem of the workers’ movement. In the film, solidarity was unequivocally tied to the unity of the working class. But what does solidarity mean in today’s world? An article about the social relevance of the song.
 

Martin Conrads

The Tragedy of the Commons © Ricardo Roa

The Tragedy of the Commons
Self-governance as a way out of the dilemma

The social sciences describe how commonly available resources, such as water or grazing land, are inevitably wasted. But is there perhaps a way to counteract this?

Christian Hüsch

Serienfieber Illustration einer Hand mit Fernbedienung © Colourbox / Image editing Goethe-Institut Los Angeles
© Colourbox / Image editing Goethe-Institut Los Angeles

German Series in the USA
 Binge Fever!

Television “Made in Germany” is having a golden moment with the rise of international streaming services. In our dossier, we highlight binge-worthy German serials and fill you in on where to watch them in the USA.

Editions

Jenseits der Parolen © Ricardo Roa

Stir it up!

What to do when inner values and outer reality can no longer be reconciled? Ignore, despair, laugh at, protest? Gegenüber sheds light on the power of creativity and forms of resistance — and asks: When is the right moment to change the world? A transatlantic journey through society, history, and resistance.
150 years Thomas Mann © Autograf

150 years of Thomas Mann

Thomas Mann was one of Germany's most important writers, a Nobel Prize winner and political commentator. He left behind an enduring literary legacy. On the occasion of his 150th birthday, we take a look at his life and work.
Solidarität © Ricardo Roa

Double Exposure

In today's individualized societies, there is a tension between solidarity and universalism. The challenge is to respect diversity and individual freedom without losing a sense of shared responsibility and belonging. Only this double exposure makes it possible for people to stand up for each other in solidarity and respect universal values despite their differences. 
Belonging? School of fish version Photo by Jeffrey Hamilton at Unsplash

Belonging

How far has a radically open society been realized in the face of growing nationalist narratives on both sides of the Atlantic? The issue “Belonging” of Gegenüber magazine tells of life in a different homeland to one's grandparents, of cultural reproductions and mutations from one place to another, of new roots and aspects of exclusion that should not be alien to anyone, but which weigh differently. And it asks whether the concept of “native” vs. “migrant” is still valid.

Popcast

Rock, pop, hiphop, electro: at the beginning of every month we shine our search beacon into the nation’s studios and clubs from Kiel up north to Weilheim way down south. Together with Zündfunk, Bavarian Radio’s scene magazine, we showcase the latest music by riveting off-the-charts bands.
Echo-Verse © Wild Bunch

Goethe on Demand

On this site, we present a variety of online film programs, film festivals and film series that can be streamed from home. More information about the alternating film series can be found here. The films are presented in original language with subtitles. They are accessible online and free of charge after registration.
Colorful snippets © Shutterstock

Snippets

Germany’s cultural landscape is vibrant and diverse, with exciting developments across the arts, film, music, and literature. From literary festivals and prices to groundbreaking exhibitions in galleries across the nation to the latest releases from acclaimed filmmakers and authors, there’s a wealth of creativity to explore. 


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