Das amerikanische Beben

Book Presentation with Christina Morina, University of Bielefeld | As part of the event series "Zwischen/Zeiten: 250 Jahre USA"

What happens when the proud history of American democracy, violently brought back into the present, suddenly becomes the scene of its own destruction? Historian and non-fiction award winner Christina Morina of Bielefeld University traveled to the renowned New School in New York as a visiting professor in the fateful year of 2024—and found herself at the epicenter of a political earthquake. She witnessed firsthand Donald Trump’s fateful comeback and a large-scale attempt to shake the very foundations of the democratic order. At the launch of her new non-fiction book, “Das amerikanische Beben” (engl. “The American Quake”), Morina describes in a very personal way how this tectonic upheaval ate deep into people’s everyday lives. But she doesn’t stop at mere observation: with keen insight, Morina places the U.S. crisis in a broader context and explores the differences from our comparatively young German democratic experience. What role do historical wounds play in the here and now, and how can a liberal order be protected against authoritarian encroachment? The history professor returns with lessons from the American rubble—and issues an urgent wake-up call for the resilience of our own political culture.