NEW INTERVIEW
Lou Bihl: „Nicht tot zu sein, ist noch kein Leben“
In diesem Alethea Talks spricht Lou Bihl mit Chefredakteurin Claudia Mauer über die Entstehung des Buches, ethische Konflikte in der Medizin und die gesellschaftliche Debatte um Sterbehilfe. Lou Bihl ist Fachärztin für Radioonkologie und Palliativmedizin sowie Autorin zahlreicher wissenschaftlicher Beiträge und belletristischer Werke. In ihrem neuen Roman „Nicht tot zu sein, ist noch kein Leben“ (Unken Verlag, Mai 2025) beleuchtet sie das kontroverse Thema selbstbestimmtes Sterben – faktenbasiert, sensibel und erzählerisch. Der Roman erzählt von Freundschaft, Liebe und der Frage nach einem würdigen Abschied.
Es ist wichtig, über Themen wie selbstbestimmtes Sterben, Trauer und den Umgang mit unheilbaren Krankheiten zu sprechen, weil sie den Gang des Lebens betreffen – die unausweichliche Reise, die jeder Mensch durchläuft. In einer Zeit, in der medizinische Errungenschaften das Leben verlängern können, bleibt der Tod ein Schicksal, vor dem jede Familie steht. Trotz aller Fortschritte in der Onkologie, Palliativmedizin und Lebensverlängerungstechniken – von Chemotherapien bis zu KI-gestützten Diagnosen – konfrontiert uns das Ende mit ethischen, emotionalen und gesellschaftlichen Fragen: Wie gehen wir mit Leiden um? Wann ist Leben mehr als bloße Existenz? Was ist es, dass uns alle verbindet – die Endlichkeit des Lebens.
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18. Januar 2026
RECENT - FUTURE
Great Power Competition
und die Geheimdienste - Dr. Robert Lackner: „Politisch verschiebt sich im Moment wirklich etwas.“
Nach seiner viel beachteten Biografie Wie ein junger Anwalt Tausende von Juden rettete (2024), die Willy Perls geheime Rettungsaktionen im Wien von 1938 rekonstruierte, wagt Dr. Robert Lackner den Sprung in die Fiktion. Mit Seidenstraße entführt der Zeithistoriker und Geheimdienst-Experte in einen geopolitischen Thriller, der aktuelle Machtspiele zwischen China, Europa und den USA greifbar macht.
Lackner, jahrelang in Archiven der CIA und MI6 tätig, erklärt: „Fiktion erlaubt Freiheit – aber die Handlung muss logisch sein.“ Seine Expertise prägt nicht nur die realistische Darstellung nachrichtendienstlicher Abläufe, sondern auch die Dringlichkeit: Was, wenn Taiwan fällt und Mikrochips fehlen? Wenn Europa zwischen zwei Großmächten zerrieben wird? Was, wenn China seine Drohungen wahrmacht und den Export dieser Rohstoffe einstellt?
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4. November 2025
NEW BOOKS
Klaus M. Einwanger:
„Es ist eine „Jetzt oder nie“- Situation“
In unserem neuesten Alethea Talks-Interview spricht der Fotograf Klaus M. Einwanger über sein Projekt, das die prekäre Lage von Taxifahrer*innen weltweit dokumentiert. Einwanger ist bekannt für seine einfühlsamen Porträts und sozialkritischen Arbeiten. Sein Buch „Taxi Drivers Written In Their Faces“ beleuchtet die globale Situation der Branche. Erst kürzlich berichteten wir für Alethea Talks über den Taxistreik in Düsseldorf, wo Fahrer*innen gegen unfaire Wettbewerbsbedingungen durch Plattformen wie Uber protestierten.
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8. August 2025
Bülent Mumay: “My greatest motivation is to write about our democracy and my profession and to defend them.”
In an exclusive Alethea Talks interview, Turkish journalist Bülent Mumay talks about his new book “Das kann mich hinter Gitter bringen: Letters from Istanbul” and his commitment to democracy and journalism in his home country of Turkey. Mumay is known for his work for Deutsche Welle and his column “Letter from Istanbul” as well as his podcast for the FAZ. After his second or third column in the FAZ, he was arrested for allegedly publishing reports critical of the government, but was released shortly afterwards. Despite ongoing risks, including a suspended 20-month prison sentence, he continues to write for German newspapers, exposing the looming threat of the “agent law”, which could see journalists working for foreign media jailed.
His story is a testimony to the resilience of journalists who stand up for the truth despite threats.
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28. May 2025
ART
Klara Niemann: „Die „Marke Darchinger“ war ein Synonym für Zuverlässigkeit.“
Jupp Darchinger (1926–2008) war ein zentraler Chronist der jungen Bundesrepublik. Von den 1950er Jahren an dokumentierte er das politische Leben in der damaligen Hauptstadt Bonn. Seine 1,6 Millionen Negative und 60.000 Abzüge, seit 2008 im Archiv der Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, zeigen Politiker wie Willy Brandt, Helmut Schmidt oder Richard von Weizsäcker in lebendigen Szenen, aber auch Randfiguren, die die Stimmung einer Ära einfangen.
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22. Juli 2025
Dr. Ulrike Al-Khamis: “The collection is a testament to His Highness and his family.”
In this significant interview, we speak with Dr. Ulrike Al-Khamis, Director of the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, about the universal language of art that touches Muslims and non-Muslims alike and why art is a key to understanding in times of global tensions. This conversation, set against the backdrop of the exhibition “Al-Burda Award: 20 Years of Islamic Art” highlights how art overcomes barriers between cultures and religions. The beauty and richness of Islamic art—from classical calligraphy to contemporary works—are at the heart of this show, previously presented in Abu Dhabi and now shining at the Aga Khan Museum.
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15. August 2025
Cotter-Naessens: “The Citizens’ Assembly is a model for information flow and decision-making that stands in contrast to online dynamics or social media.“
At the Biennale Architettura 2025 (May 10 – November 23), the Irish Pavilion presents Assembly, a multisensory installation aiming to reinterpret participatory democracy. Developed by Cotter & Naessens Architects in collaboration with sound artist David Stalling, architect and poet Michelle Delea, curator Luke Naessens, and woodworker Alan Meredith, the project created a space inspired by Ireland’s Citizens’ Assembly.
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23. June 2025
NEXT VOICES
Courtesy of the artist
NEXT VOICES
Loren Snyk: ‘Art is not only “being yourself”, but also improving taste’
Loren Snyk, an artist with a background in cyber security, combines technology, fashion and fine art in her work. Her work impresses with its innovative combination of artistic expression and multi-layered themes from the digital world. She holds a Master's degree in Information Technology from Harvard University and works as Director of Cloud Security. Themes such as stealth and hidden messages from cyber security are reflected in her artwork. Snyk uses mixed media techniques, incorporating fashion photography into her work.
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23. Mai 2025
TRENDING
Jarosław Włodarczyk: “In the age of disinformation, we have the eyewitnesses, journalists who risk their lives.“
The war in Ukraine is more topical than ever. Negotiations are taking place in the political arena with daily headlines, but the war continues. The reporting and the terrible images of devastation have now become something almost commonplace. This exhibition should change that. ‘Eyes of War’ is the name of the international photo exhibition organised by the Polish Press Club, which shows photos by Polish war photographers, many of whom are international award-winning photographers. On its tour around the world, it also made a stop in Düsseldorf. Jarosław Włodarczyk, Secretary General of the International Association of Press Clubs and Polish publicist, and the multi-award-winning photographer Wojciech Grzędziński attended the opening in person at the Polish Institute.
The exhibition can be seen at the Polish Press Club from now until 26 September 2025. The new director of the Polish Institute, Rafael Sobzcak, recently organised an event to celebrate Poland's EU presidency. This was another evening centred on Ukraine.
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31 März 2025
Dr Bastian Fleermann: ‘From the first to the very last day in Düsseldorf, there was resistance from very courageous men and women, from very different directions.’
When the Second World War ended in 1945, it was a liberation for Europe and also for Germany. Today, Düsseldorf is home to the third-largest Jewish community in Germany. The Mahn- und Gedenkstätte, a museum dedicated to portraying this period in Düsseldorf, has initiated an extensive month-long programme to commemorate this event.
A large part of the interview is dedicated to the courageous men and women who formed the resistance in Düsseldorf. This resistance began with the seizure of power in 1933, and names such as Hermann Smeets, who made contact with the Americans in the final hours of the war when they were standing outside the city, are well known today. By making contact with the Americans, they were able to prevent further bombing and the city was handed over to the Allies without another shot being fired.
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17 Februar 2025
Sagarmatha Next Centre ©Tommy Gustafsson
Tommy Gustafsson: ‘Would they be willing to make a small contribution and carry a one-kilo bag of crushed plastic bottles?’
Tommy Gustafsson is a mountaineer, former CEO of sports marketing companies and founder of Sagarmatha Next, the world's highest museum. He and his co-founders develop highly innovative environmental concepts such as the Carry Me Back programme and have been able to recycle more than 25 tonnes of waste in the last two years. After decades of travelling to the region as a mountaineering tourist, Gustafsson became determined to solve the huge problem of pollution in the Sagarmatha region, the national park where Mount Everest is located. Together with two friends, they embarked on a major endeavour not only to build a museum in the middle of the national park, but also to develop complex concepts to solve the waste problems of the entire region.
19 November 2024
"Anything To Say?" by Davide Dormino
©Lucas Tiefenthaler
Davide Dormino "Standing up where the masses sit down."
On 25 June, a few days after the UK High Court hearing, Wikileaks and Stella Assange announced that Julian Assange had left Belmarsh prison and was heading for the airport to return to his home country Australia. The artist group Artists for Assange, founded in 2015, has been working alongside many people for years towards the release of Julian Assange. We had the great opportunity to talk to one of these artists, the Roman sculptor Davide Dormino, who created the world-famous sculpture "Anything To Say?".
Above all, art has the potential to emotionalise people all over the world. "Anything To Say?" is a life-size 930 kilo bronze sculpture depicting Edward Snowden, Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning, each standing on a chair. The fourth chair is empty because it invites visitors to play an active role. The sculpture premiered on Alexanderplatz in Berlin on 1 May 2015 and toured until 2023, visiting cities such as Geneva, Paris, London, Sydney and Melbourne.
Andrew Gold: ‘I hope my book will encourage people to stop judging other people because they have a different opinion.’
The English investigative journalist, podcaster and filmmaker Andrew Gold has published his first book, ‘The Psychology of Secrets’, published by Pan McMillan. Gold reaches millions of viewers with his YouTube channel, more than some daily newspapers. He is aware of his position and responsibility, says Gold in a personal interview, and is frank about his responsibility in social media and that of his many colleagues. Incidentally, he finds the current role of social media controversial due to the frequent lack of research, the lack of due diligence and the spread of fake news.
Freedom of the press
Often the subject of controversy, Gold's YouTube channel ‘Heretic’ is primarily dedicated to freedom of the press. Based on the stories he collected, Gold and his publisher crystallised a common denominator for the book: secrets. ‘The Psychology of Secrets’ is a fascinating book that analyses secrets on various levels, such as power, espionage, cults, and unearths incredible stories, such as that of Lord Brendan Bracken, Churchill's wartime Minister of Information and founder of the modern Financial Times. His book is about encouraging people not to pass judgement on other people, even if they have a different opinion. He came to the realisation that facts are more important than feelings, but they should not hurt people unnecessarily.
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1 October 2024
Mischa Kuball "My work stands for tolerance, enlightenment and interreligious coexistence."
In November 1938, the Great Synagogue in Kasernenstraße in Düsseldorf was set on fire. After the war, only 57 Jewish citizens returned to Düsseldorf and founded the Düsseldorf Jewish community. In 2023, events came in quick succession. 7 October led to demonstrations against Israel in the city and numerous declarations of support for the alliance with Israel from the city. On 2 November, an interfaith prayer for peace was held in front of Düsseldorf City Hall. Also, worth mentioning is the statement by the Mahn-und Gedenkstätte (memorial centre), which announced on its Instagram account that it also commemorates the victims of the people of Gaza.
The most significant project and probably also the most important art project in the city this year is the work "missing link_" by Düsseldorf artist Mischa Kuball. The previous grey memorial stone for the synagogue had long been felt to be inadequate. "missing link_" was switched on at 10.30 pm on 9 November at the corner of Kasernenstraße and Siegfried-Klein-Straße.
15. April 2024
TRENDING
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