New Lecture Series Explores Citizenship and Human Rights in a Changing World

A new Digital Lecture Series is examining the complex relationship between citizenship and human rights. Supported by the Berthold Leibinger Foundation, the programme brings together experts to discuss historical struggles, current challenges, and future possibilities for protecting fundamental rights. The series features Miriam Rürup, director of the Moses Mendelssohn Center for European-Jewish Studies in Potsdam. Her research focuses on how the United Nations addressed statelessness after World War II, a time when ideas of universal belonging gained urgency. Statelessness—where individuals lack any nationality—has repeatedly emerged as a mass phenomenon with severe real-world effects.

The lectures also explore citizenship in modern immigration societies. Legal status here often determines access to equal participation, social rights, and political influence. By looking at both historical cases and utopian visions, the series asks how human rights can remain a meaningful political promise today. Dinah Riese, an award-winning journalist and head of the domestic news desk, will contribute to the discussions. The project aims to spark reflection on the past, present, and future of human rights as a concept requiring constant defence.

The Digital Lecture Series combines academic research with public debate on citizenship and statelessness. It highlights the ongoing need to protect human rights in changing political landscapes. The Berthold Leibinger Foundation’s support ensures the programme reaches a wide audience.