News

Irina Herb appears on Phoenix and Jacobin

Surrogacy is once again at the centre of the political debate in Germany. Appearing as a guest on Phoenix and in Jacobin magazine, Irina Herb explains why surrogacy is linked to wealth inequality and unequal access to parenthood.

New podcast episode online!

The latest episode of our podcast, appropriate, focuses on the anthology „Umkämpfte Transformation: Konflikte um den digitalen und ökologischen Wandel“, published in 2025. Steffen Liebig, one of the editors, discusses the findings of sociological research on transformation conflicts in industry. He explains the Jena approach to “bottom-up” transformation research while also offering fascinating insights into the development of the DHL Group.

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New issue of our newsletter

Another issue of our newsletter was published at the end of June. As always, it provides an overview of the most important current events, publications and media coverage relating to the SFB. You can still subscribe to the newsletter here. 

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Annual Conference "Problematic Objects of Property": Registration now open

From November 4-6, our annual conference will take place in Jena. Everyone is welcome. Admission is free.

See here for the program and registration

Tilo Wesche at jung & naiv

As a guest on the well-known talk show "jung&naiv", Tilo Wesche talks not only about interesting milestones in his life, but discusses property and colonialism, current issues surrounding private property, and the rights of nature. His idea: Nature should be granted property rights over itself. 

To the video

New Dossier: Property, Media and the Public Sphere

The newly published dossier “Property, Media, and the Public Sphere” examines the structural transformation of property and the public sphere. The transformation of property relations undeniably has profound consequences for the public sphere and, by extension, for the functioning of democracy. Yet public sphere theory — including its critical variants — has largely neglected the question of property. With the texts collected here, the new dossier seeks to counter this neglect of property. 

Read the Dossier

New blog post online!

In his blog post ‘Im Dickicht der Skripte: Horizontale und vertikale Strukturen des Eigentums’, which has just been published, Veit Braun of the University of Augsburg seeks to clarify the complex forms and regimes of ownership when it comes to the ownership of plants. Amidst the complex intertwining of very different property rights, one thing becomes clear: “Apparently, property is not only the obvious answer to all manner of problems, but also the only conceivable one; even to those problems it itself creates.”

 

To the blog post

New Dossier: China's Property System in Transition

The newly published dossier "China's Property System in Transition: Tradition, Transformation, and the Realignment of Global Power Dynamics" brings together contributions from the SFB that illustrate how property in China is being reorganized amid profound social transformations, global shifts in power, and ecological crises. The dossier approaches the topic from three perspectives: property as a social practice, the transformation of the property order, and the geopolitical reorganization of property. 

 

Read the Dossier

Blood Oil: Fossil Curse and Political Violence

In an article for the Czech magazine kapitál, Petra Gümplová writes about the concept of “blood oil”: countries rich in natural resources are often ruled by autocratic regimes. As a result, local populations are excluded from the wealth generated by these resources. Instead, as the example of Russia shows, this wealth is used to finance wars abroad and authoritarian repression at home.

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Event information

To mark the release of the “Map of Millionaires,” which shows where millionaires lived around 1900 and where wealth was concentrated, a panel discussion will take place on June 22, during which host Isabell Stamm will also deliver opening remarks. The digital map will be made available on June 22 at 6 p.m. 

to the event

New blog post online!

In Germany, money and influence are closely intertwined: who has access to political office and whose interests are represented depends on economic resources that are unevenly distributed. How do members of parliament view this problem? This question is explored in the recently published blog post “Money, Influence, and Political Equality: How Members of Parliament Assess the Role of Economic Resources in Political Competition” from Project B04, “Economic Property and Political (In)Equality: A Sociological Analysis of the Elite.” 

 

Event information

As part of the Monday Lectures series at the Max Weber Centre in Erfurt, Sofia Bianchi Mancini will give a lecture on “Questioning Divine Property and its Limits” on June 8, 2026, at 4:15 p.m. This will be followed by a total of three additional lectures by her on June 15 and 29, grouped under the theme “Property, Appropriation, and the Economy of Religion.” 

"Crisis and Transformation"

On 4 June 2026, Silke van Dyk will be a guest speaker at the ‘Crisis and Transformation’ conference in Berlin. Since the financial crisis of 2007/2008, there has been a relentless succession of crises perceived on a global scale. Consequently, there is widespread talk of crises, multiple crises and impending disasters across a wide range of contexts. Academic engagement with crisis as a concept and phenomenon has also gained new momentum. Despite this revival, the concept of crisis remains analytically vague to this day. Together with other guests, Silke van Dyk will speak at 2 pm on the topic of “Crisis and Society”.

To the programme

New working paper online!

In the newly published working paper, “Sharing as Having,” Carsten Hermann-Pillath presents the integration of two theoretical frameworks developed within the SFB: "Weltbeziehungen" and HAVINGS. HAVINGS and "Weltbeziehungen" influence one another, thereby giving rise to a variety of forms of sharing. 

“Erben” – a podcast episode from the bpb featuring Silke van Dyk

Some people inherit nothing, while others inherit entire companies. Inheritances in Germany are distributed unevenly—just like wealth. Silke van Dyk and Reiner Eichenberger discuss whether a higher inheritance tax would lead to greater social equality. Anatol Dutta explains the fundamental principles underlying inheritance law. Hosted by Sarah Zerback. 

Listen to the podcast here

New podcast episode online!

The SFB podcast appropriate is starting its second season. The first episode is titled SFB Structural Change of Property - Looking Back and Ahead with Prof. Silke van Dyk. The hosts speak with Silke van Dyk about the significance of property, the origins of the SFB, and its research findings to date. 

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“Contested Transformation: Conflicts Surrounding Digital and Environmental Change”

On May 21, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., several (former) SFB members will present the volume "Umkämpfte Transformation" at the Augustinian Monastery in Erfurt and discuss it with representatives from practice. The book compiles key findings from the now-completed subproject B05 on property, inequality, and class formation. Featuring Klaus Dörre, Steffen Liebig, Stefan Schmalz, and many others. 

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“The New Municipalism in Barcelona—A Beacon for Progressive Urban Policy?”

Silke van Dyk and Markus Kip will present key findings of their research during the first funding phase on May 12, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Their presentation will focus on the question of whether the Barcelona en Comú coalition has succeeded during its eight years in office (2015–2023) in substantially democratizing urban infrastructure and local public services, thereby curbing the influence of private-sector interests in favor of a public policy of the commons.

to the event

New Working Paper online!

In their new working paper, “Beyond (Private) Property? Alternative Forms of Property and Alternatives to Property,” Stefanie Graefe, Mike Laufenberg, Susanne Lettow, Sebastian Sevignani, and Marco Sonnberger discuss the role that property (particularly private property) plays in capitalist societies, the problems associated with it, and where and how alternatives can be identified, conceived and discussed.

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New: Dossier alternatives to private property

In this dossier, we have compiled contributions from the SFB that examine alternatives to private property from various perspectives. The aim is not only to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms and contradictions of capitalist private property. Many contributions also present concrete alternative models and explore both their potential and their failures: from the commons and municipal infrastructure to socialization and cooperatives, all the way to socialist or non-Western concepts of property.

 

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New blog post online!

In her new blog post, “She thinks green”, Yuxuan Ren examines the role of women in putting sustainable living into practice in China. In Shenzhen, the use of rooftop terraces – which are both publicly and privately owned – is a particular starting point for green everyday practices. Through joint planning and maintenance, these rooftop terraces have been transformed into rooftop gardens, which thus serve both an ecological and a social purpose. 

 

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New blog post online!

In his blog post "Making sense of land values" Alexander Dobeson examines land as an asset. Drawing on the situation in Copenhagen, where he lives and works, he explores the question of how the value of land is created.

Workshop on Socialization. Democratization of the economy?

With the participation of SFB members Tilo Wesche and Niklas Angebauer, a workshop on socialization will take place in Tutzing from May 15 to 17. From housing, land, and energy to healthcare and digital platforms: Could socialization enable a fair, democratic, and sustainable reappropriation of our living conditions? What concrete forms are conceivable, what decolonial perspectives need to be considered, and what needs to be critically discussed in this context? What could a democratic property policy for the 21st century look like?
 

More information and the program here

Stefan Schmalz on the works council elections at Tesla

In a Spiegel article on the campaign for the works council elections at Tesla, Stefan Schmalz, who has been researching labour relations at the Tesla plant since last year, shares his views. He laments the unequal opportunities in the elections and criticises the current functioning of the works council, which he says acts primarily in the interests of management. 

Click here for the article (paywall)

New Source of the Quarter

The source selected by Dirk Schuck describes the consumer behavior of Scottish maids in the 18th century. The consumption of small personal items, such as necklaces, had surprising consequences for the women's self-image and their relationship with the world.

Read the Source of the Quarter

New publication!

Yann Schosser and Sebastian Bandelin have published a new volume in the series ‘Structural Change in Property Ownership.’ In ‘Kant's Critique of Property Ownership: Relevance and Perspectives in the Wake of Ethical Socialism,’ they examine Kant's concept of property ownership and draw on now largely unknown socialist interpretations of Kant. 

Click here for the boock (open access)

"Marx, Machines and the Beginning of the End"

As a guest on Radio F.R.E.I., Carsten Hermann-Pillath discusses Marx's machine fragment, artificial intelligence, and the concept of intellectual property. Does AI pose a challenge to capitalism, and can the market economy function entirely without exploitation?

To the programme

New blog post online!

In her blog post ‘Waste flows,’ Asfia Jamal reflects on waste in a compelling way. Waste is not produced as waste, yet it is generated everywhere. What constitutes waste and what does not is relative, and ‘from this perspective, waste is also property.’ 

Newsletter from the SFB

We now have a newsletter for anyone who wants to stay up to date on the work of the SFB. We regularly report on the latest news, upcoming and past events, and our publications.
You can read the first issue here (only available in german so far). You can also subscribe to the newsletter to receive future bilingual issues in German and English by email. 

“A socio-ecological transformation is only possible when we focus on property”

In an interview with Freitag, Hartmut Rosa discusses the relevance of property in the context of ecological transformation.

Read the interview here

New publication!

A new edited volume in the series “Structural Change in Property Ownership” on Nomad Properties has been published, edited by Anna Möllers, Dirk Schuck, and Bernhard Kleeberg. While the discourse on nomadism in the 18th and 19th centuries was intertwined with colonial contexts and notions of so-called “primitive” societies, it became more multifaceted in the 20th century with the emergence of “modern nomadism.” This anthology examines the connection between nomadic structures and property and gives voice to a wide variety of perspectives, including those of the little-known traveling minority known as the Yenish.

 

New blog post online!

In her new blogpost, Lydia von der Weth argues that engaging seriously with alternative property traditions—in this case Islamic legal thought, can help us confront some of the most pressing challenges that contemporary property regimes face.

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New Working Paper online

Discussions on environmental, climate, or energy justice tend to focus primarily on downstream effects such as social inequality, rather than on the nature of property itself and its influence on social conditions. Similarly, the effects of socio-ecological transformation processes on property relations are rarely researched or described in detail, even though far-reaching changes and conflicts are to be expected in this area as well. Our new Working Paper 11, “Property and Socio-Ecological Transformation. Some Conceptual Considerations on a Neglected Connection,” addresses this tension.

 

Climate Action must be fair

In an interview with the Ostthüringer Zeitung,Silke van Dyk and Hartmut Rosa explain how property rights determine the success of environmental measures. An event entitled “Who owns the future?”, addressing issues of ownership and the ecological crisis, will be held on Thursday, January 15, at 6 p.m. at the Volksbad Jena.

Read the interview here

New Publication!

In their “activity-based theory of rent,” authors Marlen van den Ecker, Tilman Reitz, and Sebastian Sevignani attempt to systematize existing theoretical approaches to rent economics in digital capitalism. The authors argue that these concepts ignore various forms of human activity that underlie rent extraction: unpaid activities or activities not employed by the rentier, such as software development, academic research, and produser activities.

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New publication!

The new volume ‘Property Conflicts: Conceptual and Empirical Perspectives’ in our series ‘Structural Change in Property’ has been published. Kathrin Leuze, Joachim von Puttkamer, Marion Reiser and Sylka Scholz have compiled texts that examine the various conflicts in our contemporary capitalist society. This raises the question of whether these conflicts have the potential to fundamentally transform social property structures. 

Click here for the book (open access)

New: Dossier Socio-ecological Transformation and Property

This dossier deals with our current “topic of the semester”: property and socio-ecological transformation.In addition to many other contributions, our first dossier includes an interview with Tilo Wesche about his book "Die Rechte der Natur“ as part of the video series ”DFG bewegt“, as well as a blog post by Helen Bönnighausen, Luzie Gerstenhöfer, Maria Pfeiffer, Marco Sonnberger, and Anne Tittor on ”Energy transition for all? On the complex relationship between energy transition, co-determination, and ownership structures," (in German) which is the result of an SFB workshop on the topic. 

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Relaunch New Library of Property

Our New Library of Property is now available on this website. An extensive database provides information on relevant publications on the subject of property, the quarterly sources give an insight into our research projects, and our thematic dossiers present a wide variety of sources on current social debates.

New publication!

Sofia Bianchi Mancini and Maria Dell'Isola have published a special issue of the journal Civilità e Religioni. The articles collected in this issue on the subject of property and religion examine the concept of ‘divine property’ from the first to the ninth century AD. They show that, in a religious context, property always serves to express ideas about God, community and power. 

Link to the special issue (open access)