Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung

Unequal mobility

Unkenntliche Menschen warten auf den Zug, während die Bewegungsunschärfe den Effekt von Bewegung und Rushhour liefert.

On average, migrants need over 10 percent more time for everyday journeys of the same distance than natives in German cities. A new WZB study analyses the reasons behind this disparity.

What hurdles are there on the way to enforcing the law and how can they be overcome? A new website from the Visual Society Program explains and illustrates complex legal processes.

Junge Menschen digitaliseren Dokumente der NS-Verfolgung

Many memorial sites rely on participatory formats to keep the memory of Nazi crimes alive. A new study has now shown that such formats increase engagement in memorial work.

In the current WZB-Mitteilungen, WZB researcher Minju Choi asks what the declining importance of liberal norms means for the role and authority of academic knowledge.

How often do established parties cooperate with the AfD at the local level? WZB researchers have analyzed this question comprehensively for the first time and found that the political firewall in Eastern and Western Germany is similarly stable.

Conspiracy narratives have a demonstrably negative impact on social relations. People exposed to such narratives develop more negative attitudes towards outgroups.

On average, migrants need over 10 percent more time for everyday journeys of the same distance than natives in German cities. A new WZB study analyses the reasons behind this disparity.

What hurdles are there on the way to enforcing the law and how can they be overcome? A new website from the Visual Society Program explains and illustrates complex legal processes.

Many memorial sites rely on participatory formats to keep the memory of Nazi crimes alive. A new study has now shown that such formats increase engagement in memorial work.

In the current WZB-Mitteilungen, WZB researcher Minju Choi asks what the declining importance of liberal norms means for the role and authority of academic knowledge.

Conspiracy narratives have a demonstrably negative impact on social relations. People exposed to such narratives develop more negative attitudes towards outgroups.

The WZB

The WZB Berlin Social Science Center investigates fundamental societal issues. Our focus is on education and work, markets and choice, migration, democracy and autocracy, international politics and law. At the WZB researchers from various disciplines work together – mainly from sociology, political science, economics, law and psychology.

Working at the WZB

The WZB offers a modern working environment, where both equal opportunities and the compatibility of work and family are highly valued. Find out more about it here.

WZB-Mitteilungen

Change

Times are dynamic and challenging. Political, economic and technological developments around the world are taking place at breathtaking speed. The March issue of our quarterly “WZB-Mitteilungen” reflects the deep ambivalence of change - the spirit of optimism, but also resistance and hardening fronts.

The issue focuses on the state and future of democracy: How can the boom of the extreme right be explained? What forms does protest take? What role do language and education play? There are also analyses of the transport revolution, industrial policy, and the handling of data.

Plyushkin/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Artificial intelligence (AI) is widely regarded as a promising development in the healthcare sector, with anticipated benefits such as improved diagnostic accuracy, earlier detection of health risks, and enhanced support for older adults through assistive technologies. Yet, the development and use of such technologies raises questions about justice, participation, and responsibility.

DKosig/ iStock / Getty Images Plus

Change is not a one-dimensional process. To grasp its true nature, we must consider two levels of time: the rhythm of individual moments and the totality of elapsed time. Steffen Huck explores this perspective through examples such as technological progress and the rise of the populist right, demonstrating its crucial role in understanding processes of change.

News

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How Do Crises Affect International Organizations?

11 Jun 2025

Doppelporträt Christian Kreuder-Sonnen und Christian Rauh

David Ausserhofer / privat

The newly DFG-funded project VARICRIS, jointly led by Christian Kreuder-Sonnen (Friedrich-Schiller University Jena) and Christian Rauh (WZB , University of Potsdam), will examine why some international organizations (IOs) gain authority and capacity in times of crisis while others lose influence.

INSIGHTS Summit – Communicating Economics

12 May 2025

Dorothea Kübler, Peter Haan, Nicola Fuchs-Schündeln

Bernhard Ludewig

To mark the conclusion of the INSIGHTS project for science transfer, we invite you to the INSIGHTS Summit on June 18 with panels on topics such as gender, macroeconomics, and climate policy. The summit brings together science, politics, and communication under one roof and is organized in collaboration with WZB, DIW, and the Berlin School of Economics. Dorothea Kübler (WZB and Head of INSIGHTS), Peter Haan (DIW and Head of INSIGHTS) and Nicola Fuchs-Schündeln (President of the WZB) will speak at the Summit.

The Hidden Gender Gap

14 May 2025

GettyImages/sshepard

Why do equally qualified female students apply to elite universities less often than males — even in a gender-blind admission system? A new study co-authored by WZB researchers reveals that although China’s university admissions are based solely on exam scores, social factors such as parental expectations and gender stereotypes continue to influence students’ choices, resulting in a hidden gender gap. Addressing these deep-rooted sociocultural influences is crucial for achieving genuine gender equality in higher education.