Gerhard Matzig & Ulrike Gerhard

Made in Germany? Ailing in Germany. Germany’s infrastructure and buildings are crumbling. Germany is losing economic strength and substance. The country’s built environment is outdated and not fit for the future. Bridges are in need of renovation, hundreds of thousands of homes are missing and digital expansion is lagging behind. The German infrastructure crisis is also a political crisis of confidence. In his new book Auferstehen aus Ruinen (2025), Gerhard Matzig takes stock of the failed policies and missed investments of all parties over the last 35 years. Together with Ulrike Gerhard, he discusses urgently needed structural reforms and possible ways for Germany to emerge from the crisis.

Gerhard Matzig studied architecture, law and politics and is an editor at the Süddeutsche Zeitung. He has received numerous awards for his articles on architecture, urban planning and design.

Prof. Dr. Ulrike Gerhard is Professor of Human Geography of North America and Urban Geography at the University of Heidelberg.

In the series And now?

Information on the event series:
How Germany and Europe remain capable of acting
Germany and Europe are facing major challenges – but every crisis also opens up opportunities for renewal.
Under the title “And now?”, this series brings together renowned experts from the fields of politics, science, journalism and economics. They analyze the causes of the current crises and at the same time point out concrete perspectives: for a sustainable economy, a resilient democracy, a realistic European policy and a state that protects security and freedom in equal measure.