05/06/2026, Essen
Wissenschaftsstadt Essen
The College for Social Sciences and Humanities is taking part in the local science festival ‘Essener Wissenschaftssommer’ this year, which runs in the city of Essen from 18 to 28 June 2026.
At a book launch on 22 June, you can learn how the region we now call ‘Ruhr area’ developed up until 1914. On 23 June, a lecture elucidates how far-right content is spreading among young people via social media, contributing to radicalisation. All events of the festival are held in German.
📆 Book Launch & Discussion: Die Geschichte des Ruhrgebiets bis 1914
22 June 2026, 18:00–20:00 (reception until 21:00)
The first volume of the book series Geschichte des Ruhrgebiets [history of the Ruhr area] traces the Ruhr region’s origins from the early modern period to the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. The editors Nicolai Hannig and Ute Schneider, together with historian Anne Friedrichs, vividly illustrate what life was like for the population at that time and what social and political conflicts existed.
📆 LECTURE: Rechtsextremismus als Hype? Zur Radikalisierung junger Menschen in den Sozialen Medien
23 June 2026, 14:00–16:00
Educational researchers Nicolle Pfaff and Wivian Weller analyse selected social media content to demonstrate how transnational ideological notions of nationalism and the social devaluation of groups become points of reference for youth cultural practices.
The complete programme of the Essener Wissenschaftssommer festival is available here:
https://www.wissenschaftsstadt-essen.de/essener-wissenschaftssommer#Programm