1.0 video <p><strong>The ‘Zeitenwende’, announced by Olaf Scholz days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, meant a profound shift in Germany’s self-image. With writer Philipp Oehmke and  political analyst Caroline de Gruyter we explore the implications of this new cultural reality.</strong></p><p>After its defeat in the Second World War, Germany transformed from a militaristic regime into a soft power house. Self-conscious pacifism became a core part of the German identity. Is Germany now ready to become a military player of geopolitical significance? And how would that affect the German sense of self? We discuss this with German author Philipp Oehmke, who dissected post-war Germany in his family novel <i>The Schönwalds</i>, and Caroline de Gruyter, journalist and political commentator for outlets including Dutch newspaper <i>NRC</i>.</p><p><strong>About Forum on European Culture</strong><br />Who’s afraid of art? Now that tyrants are on the roll and more<i> </i>and more people in the West seem to be falling for the autocratic alternative, <a href="https://debalie.nl/forum-on-european-culture-art-against-the-tyrants-2025/">the Forum on European Culture 2025 (June 25 – June 29)</a> brings together international artists, writers, and thinkers to celebrate the subversive power of art and literature.</p> https://vod.salto.nl/img/2025/07/17/687916d988a5a20013bad0cd_poster_1.png 1280 720 1280 720 <iframe src="https://vod.salto.nl/embed/2GMJZ4hkTeguCSWoWSmE2E" width="1280" height="720" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Salto Player https://vod.salto.nl