Hope for a Better Future: A Conversation on Stage at the Theater
A conversation about trust, the future and social responsibility at the Markgrafentheater in Erlangen
Can hope be learned again, in a time defined by overlapping crises, political radicalization, technological overload and a sense of powerlessness in the face of ecological breakdown? That question was at the center of the second edition of the talk series Amt 44 at Schauspiel Erlangen, held on 16 December 2025 at the Markgrafentheater.
After a successful first edition in the spring, the format returned to a subject that could hardly be more timely. Hosted by Matthias Köhler, resident director and part of the artistic leadership, the evening wasn’t about quick answers or moral certainties. As the format intends, what mattered was asking the right question.
Four very different perspectives met on the panel:
Peter Dabrock, theologian, ethicist and former chair of the German Ethics Council;
Baro Vicenta Ra Gabbert, author, lawyer and spokesperson for social and ecological justice at Greenpeace;
Vincent C. Müller, philosopher and Humboldt Professor for the Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence;
and Carina Stoettner, futurist and adviser to leadership teams.
Peter Dabrock brought an ethical and theological perspective, understanding hope as a deliberate stance that keeps you able to act even without optimism. Baro Vicenta Ra Gabbert spoke from the practice of activism and showed how hope grows out of everyday commitment — through young people above all, even in the face of political setbacks. Vincent C. Müller opened a philosophical and technological horizon, arguing that thinking worst-case scenarios through properly is a precondition for shaping the future responsibly. Carina Stoettner placed the discussion in the context of futures research, arguing that hope at a societal level rests above all on trust — in the future and in one another — and on the quiet majority finding the courage to speak.
You can read more about the evening in the write-up by Rezensöhnchen or in the Nürnberger Nachrichten (both in German).
The verdict: an absorbing conversation, with plenty of spontaneous contributions and debate.
Would you like to book Carina Stoettner for a panel or a talk? Get in touch. More about the speaker.
Photos: Henrik Stelter
