I write digitally – not because it is fashionable, but because it opens up new spaces for me: spaces for thinking, listening deeply and creating.
Artificial intelligence is not a substitute for my own thinking, but a resonating chamber for my thoughts. It helps me find forms, organise voices and distil language to its essence.
I write because I want to believe that words can make a difference. I write to understand – myself, the world and humanity.
Writing is also a form of self-reflection for me. I look back on my life, its turning points, its questions and its moments of wonder – and try to shape meaning through words.
It is a process of maturation, an inner growth that reaches a new stage with every text.
Some call it wisdom. I call it continuing to ask questions.
I write because I see myself as part of a long tradition of thinkers, writers and seekers.
Historical figures accompany me: Montaigne, the pioneer of the essay, whose Essays always remained explorations rather than final answers.
Erasmus of Rotterdam, the great European humanist. I engage with them through their writings, their ideas and their convictions.
They bring history to life for me.
And I write because the present demands a response.
My novel Amour pour l’Alsace and my play Will Ulrike Return? are responses to social tensions – terrorism, radicalisation and the breakdown of communication.
The Third Generation raises questions about our responsibility.
Europe Divided looks 80 years into the future – a projection, but also a warning.
And Wilhelm Busch reflects on human ambivalence and double standards.
These pressing issues motivate me. I cannot remain silent.
Not loudly.
Sometimes quietly.
But always sincerely.
I write for those who continue to ask questions without immediately demanding answers.
For those who wish to live – simply to live.
As “Fritz” Hölderlin from Tübingen once said:
“To live, simply to live – that is everything.”
Or as Karl – the great fashion designer and collector of books, who is said to have amassed 30,000 printed volumes across several houses – replied without hesitation when asked about the meaning of life:
LIFE!
Ma Raison d’Être
To encourage people to reflect through knowledge, history, philosophy and culture – and thereby contribute to humanity and democracy.
Throughout my life, I have come to realise that the meaning of life is not something we discover once and for all. It emerges through our actions, our thoughts and our encounters with other people.
Today, my raison d’être no longer lies in my former profession or in economic success. It lies in sharing knowledge, encouraging people to think critically, keeping history alive and promoting the principles of Digital Humanism.
Through my books, essays, lectures and website, I want to help ensure that education, historical remembrance, democracy and humanity remain living values.
If my thoughts inspire others, raise new questions or offer a sense of direction, then my work has fulfilled its purpose.
In this spirit, I understand the thinking of Irvin D. Yalom: The meaning of life is not a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered. It is continually created anew – through the way we live, the choices we make and the traces we leave in the lives of others.