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 The country’s built environment is outdated and not fit for the future.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?