Knowledge After Progress

Giving a talk at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Halle entitled “Chemistry after Progress. Reassembling life in late industrial societies” (Niewoehner) offered a dual chance to learn: about the transformation of Germany’s foremost chemical region and about the latest developments at the MPI – such an important home for anthropology in Germany.

Halle/Saale and its neighbours with their vibrant past as a motor of chemical production during the GDR era are investing heavily into the region to sustain its industrial heritage in the age of green and sustainable chemical innovation and production.

Colleagues from anthropology and beyond working locally are involved in understanding and helping to shape the legacies and futures of chemistry in the region and we are looking forward to engaging with them to think through the ongoing socio-chemical transformations.