Zwischenruf (Interjection – Politics and Culture with Cathrin Kahlweit)
For decades, times have not been so threatening, the world situation so confusing, the fear of war and terror so great. Russia is trampling on international law, the US is terminating historic alliances and threatening its partners, and liberal democracy is under pressure from racism, nationalism and extremism.
The growing number of crises and dramas that are keeping the world in suspense need calm assessment, intelligent explanation, accurate analysis – and a modicum of confidence. In the talk series «Zwischenruf – Politik und Kultur am Theater» (Interjection – Politics and Culture at the Theatre), writers, academics and insiders discuss the hottest topics of the day: security and propaganda, social upheaval and the brutalisation of societies, enemy stereotypes and macho politics. The new series at the Residenztheater is curated and moderated by long-time SZ correspondent and Eastern Europe expert Cathrin Kahlweit.
About the journalist Cathrin Kahlweit
Cathrin Kahlweit was born in Göttingen in 1959. She studied Russian and political science in Göttingen, Tübingen, at the University of Oregon (USA) and at the Pushkin Institute (USSR). After attending the Hamburg School of Journalism and working as a freelance journalist for Bayerischer Rundfunk and various print media outlets, Kahlweit joined the foreign affairs editorial team at Süddeutsche Zeitung in 1989. In the years following German reunification, she reported primarily from Eastern Europe. After stints in Frankfurt and Munich, she moved to Berlin for a year in 2007, where she headed the editorial team of Anne Will's ARD talk show, but then returned to the SZ. Kahlweit moved to Vienna in 2012 as foreign affairs correspondent for Central and Eastern Europe, reported from the United Kingdom from 2017 to 2020, and returned to Eastern and Southeastern Europe from 2020 to 2024. Since 2025, Cathrin Kahlweit has been working as a freelance journalist and presenter in Munich and Vienna. She is the author of several books, including «Architects of Change: The Heirs of Gorbachev» (1993) and «Ladies' Choice: Women Politicians in Germany» (1994).
THE AUTHORITARIAN VIRUS – WHY EUROPE MUST REINVENT ITSELF
Conversation with Daniel Kehlmann and Ivan Krastev; moderated by Cathrin Kahlweit
The EU as an island of bliss is history. Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and Donald Trump's election as US president first ended cooperation with Moscow – and then transatlantic friendship. Where does Europe's future lie now? Writer and US expert Daniel Kehlmann and political advisor and Eastern Europe expert Ivan Krastev debate this question with long-time SZ correspondent Cathrin Kahlweit.
In German and English.
RUSSIAN NIGHTMARE
Conversation with author Dmitry Glukhovsky; moderated by Cathrin Kahlweit
Russian bestselling author Dmitry Glukhovsky («Metro» 2033, among others) is considered one of the most astute analysts of the Moscow regime. Due to his stance against Russia's war of aggression, he was forced to leave his homeland and has since lived in various locations across Europe. At the Residenztheater, he will talk to Eastern Europe expert and journalist Cathrin Kahlweit about terror, power and resistance.
