Introduction: Climate Change as a Crisis of Nature? Contemporary crises appear to affect nearly every aspect of human existence and all spheres of late modernity. The Émile Durkheim Research Unit:Crisis Analysis addresses these central questions of the post-global era, focusing on the comparative-historical analysis of polycrises and metacrises. The aim is to analyze both the inherent logic or rationality of individual crisis spheres and their interconnections—with the goal of making the resulting knowledge available to other societal actors and engaging in dialogue with them. Our inaugural annual theme, "Discourses of Justice: Indicators of Crises?", linked the semantics of crisis with questions of justice, given that crises are increasingly perceived as experiences of social inequality, political powerlessness, or anger regarding living conditions. Last year’s focus on "War as a Crisis of Society" examined the history, present state, and structure of war, as well as the role of technology and the culture of war in processes of societal transformation. This year’s theme builds upon these perspectives by centering on climate change as an overwhelming global—and potentially irreversible—convergence of crises. For anthropogenic climate change is not merely an ecological challenge; it is a crisis that calls into question the foundations of our relationship with nature, with fellow humans and non-humans, with social responsibility, and with our future way of life on planet Earth. The conference proceeds from the insight that this crisis manifests across multiple dimensions and triggers diverse strategies for resolution: in religious and cultural interpretations, in questions of political governance and global responsibility, in economic interests and conflicts, in art, and in normative conceptions of justice and the rights of nature. Reflecting this development, the fundamental question arises once again: how do we wish to live together, and who are we as a society in relation to nature? Climate change thus touches upon the deep-seated structures and dynamics of late-modern social organization, challenging us to redefine the relationship between humanity, nature, and the social order. Program Against this backdrop, the Émile Durkheim Research Unit organized a symposium titled “Climate Change as a Crisis of Nature?”, featuring renowned international guests from various disciplines.

The death of Jürgen Habermas reminds us of the great significance of his theory for understanding today's "crisis of law." His theory of communicative action continues to shape cultural-sociological analyses of law, as are also pursued at the Émile Durkheim Research Center. In view of current threats to the rule of law and international order, his commitment to a democratic legal community in Europe remains pioneering.

Eighty years after the end of the Second World War, there is an urgent need to remember the horrors of war once again. In the immediate present, it is deeply disturbing to see Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine still in full swing. Witnessing a devastating act of terror and the almost complete destruction of Gaza is a harrowing confrontation with the present. Must we now counter the illusion of a peaceful world, in which war took place mainly outside the so-called West, with a new realism? Should we intensify our research into war, which confronts us, at least on a cognitive level, with the return of terror? The Émile Durkheim Research Centre, which is dedicated to the analysis of crises, is focusing this year on the history, present and structures of war. It aims to address not only the new modalities of war (cyberwars, drone warfare, defence systems, biological weapons, etc.) – i.e. the technology of war – but also to include the “culture of war”. Symbolic representations in images and films, in literary texts, war diaries, letters and even email communication from the “field” are of particular importance for the cultural studies approach to the phenomenon of war. What is striking here are similar processes of social transformation, when both the functional differentiation of the spheres of politics, economy, culture and community merge and the stratum- and class-related vertical differentiation seems to dissolve in a sense of unity in the experience of war – for a certain moment of war enthusiasm. How war profiteers and war invalids are integrated into post-war society or remain marginalised as traumatised individuals provides material for literature and visualisations in images and film formats. At the same time, in the process of civilisation, as Norbert Elias called it, we observe how bellicose sentiments are also integrated into normative orders, such as jus ad bellum and jus in bello. But here, too, new weightings are taking place in relation to international humanitarian law, changing the “face of war” (Ernst Jünger). On the first day, we will look at the legal, sociological and art-historical dynamics of war, as well as its cultural expressions and perceptions. The second day will focus on (art) historical processes and artistic forms of expression that accompany wars or emerge from them, and will examine the normative foundations and anomic conditions that they unleash. The aim of the conference is to understand war not only as a political or military event, but also as a profoundly social and cultural one. The conference will take place at the Kunstmuseum Bonn (Helmut-Kohl-Allee 2).

The Interdisciplinary Summer School on Crisis Analysis brought together a diverse group of students, early-career researchers, and tutors to explore the meaning, structure, and analysis of crises in contemporary society. Organized at the University of Bonn and held from May 14 to 16, 2025, the Summer School provided a unique platform for collaborative learning, critical inquiry, and methodological training across disciplinary boundaries. The overarching goal of the Summer School was to develop a clearer, more operational understanding of what constitutes a “crisis.” Participants were encouraged to critically reflect on semantic, intellectual, political, and economic dimensions of crises, comparing German and French perspectives without resorting to simplistic culturalist or constructivist explanations. The organizers are convinced that especially the French sociological tradition provides analytical tools today that go beyond our personal experience as everyday actors affected by multiple crises. In particular, the theories of Émile Durkheim and Pierre Bourdieu will be introduced. These theories not only offer valuable historical insights into crises, but also allow us to analyze current societal challenges and develop potential solutions. Led by: Werner Gephart (Bonn) / Gisèle Sapiro (Paris) / Paul Lagneau-Ymonet (Paris) / Jörg Blasius (Bonn) / Daria Vystavkina (Bonn-Cologne-Odessa) Organized by: Jure Leko (Bonn)

With regard to Homi Bhaba the workshop led to an intensive exchange with all those who have contributed to a postcolonial view of “law” at the former Käte Hamburger Center for Advanced Study in the Humanities and the questions of justice for the location for law and normativities.

The Émile Durkheim Research Center: Crisis Analysis addresses the central question of justice in the post-global era and focuses on the comparative-historical analysis of poly- and meta-crises. The aim is to analyze both the inherent logic/rationality of the individual crisis spheres and their interconnectedness - with the aim of making the knowledge generated available to other social actors and entering into a dialogue with them.