Annika Brockschmidt & Anja Rützel

Jane Austen’s novels are about much more than romance. Love is always also a matter of power, money, and social expectations. With sharp wit and subtle irony, Austen exposed patriarchal structures and male self-assurance. Annika Brockschmidt and Anja Rützel discuss the astonishing relevance of an author whose perspective on love and gender roles has lost none of its sharpness to this day.

Annika Brockschmidt is a historian, journalist, and SPIEGEL bestselling author. As a senior correspondent for the U.S. magazine Religion Dispatches, she covers U.S. politics, feminism, and pop culture.

Anja Rützel is an author, journalist, and podcaster. She writes for *Der Spiegel*, among other publications, has published five books, and has been curating the trash TV salon *Only Fans* at the Deutsches Theater Berlin since 2023.