Have you done anything for democracy today? Keeping it running is everyone’s responsibility – and it’s not exactly easy. These researchers show what it takes to reach all parts of society and what small, often overlooked building blocks make up democracy.

• Prof. Dr. Swen Hutter (Freie Universität Berlin; WZB Berlin Social Science Center): When it comes to resisting the normalisation of far-right positions or urging politicians to take action against the climate crisis, civil society is called upon. Hutter researches it and brings his findings back to the citizens, whether at church assemblies or neighbourhood festivals. He sees himself as an “optimist on duty”, as the “SZ” once wrote, and reminds us: It is up to all of us to preserve democracy.

• Prof. Dr. Heike Klüver (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin): “Simply letting the AfD govern is not a strategy to counter its success. On the contrary, it could politically strengthen the party”, says the social scientist. Her research focuses on democratic backsliding and the question of how institutions can be strengthened. Klüver is a media-savvy expert who has repeatedly entered public debates, even after the AfD’s electoral victory in Saxony-Anhalt.

• Dr. Swetlana Nordheimer (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin): How can mathematics be explained to students who are hard of hearing or deaf? Swetlana Nordheimer combines mathematics didactics with sign languages. In her lecture on algebra and number theory, she shows prospective teachers how to convey the content in this way. For her inclusive approach to teacher education, she received the HU Award for Good Teaching.

• Dr. Jannis Julien Grimm (Freie Universität Berlin): From seminar to podcast studio: Here, students learn political science by communicating science themselves. In Grimm’s course “Talking Violence”, they explore various forms of violence, conduct interviews with experts, and produce their own podcast series from these discussions. For this creative approach, the protest researcher received the Berlin State Prize for Excellence in Higher Education Teaching in 2026.

• Dr. Jannis Julien Grimm (Freie Universität Berlin): The professor of public law is a much-sought-after expert when it comes to the protection and vulnerabilities of our constitution. Schönberger advised the previous government on electoral reform, explains in the media which levers need to be pulled to make democracy more resilient: primarily, but not exclusively, against attacks from the AfD.

All of them were presented today in Der Tagesspiegel (October 9, 2026) within the framework of the series “The 100 Most Important Minds in Berlin Academia 2026” (T+, in German).