Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen (IWM)

The Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) is an independent institute for advanced study in the humanities and social sciences. Since its foundation in 1982, it has promoted intellectual exchange between East and West, between academia and society, and between a variety of disciplines and schools of thought.

In the early days, the Institute primarily sought to reintegrate the ideas and experiences of Eastern Europe into Western debates, from which it had largely been isolated after 1945. This goal remains of crucial importance even two decades after the fall of the Iron Curtain, as old and new boundaries between East and West continue to shape beliefs, attitudes, and institutions. At the same time, the IWM has been trying to foster the exchange of ideas and knowledge between Europe and North America.

More broadly, the Institute is committed to broaching new and often contested topics of societal relevance, thus contributing to debates on a wide range of political, socio-economic, and cultural issues. Accordingly, research at the IWM is closely related to the challenges confronting political practitioners and the public at large. As a result, the Institute’s work has an intellectual as well as a practical dimension: research activities are designed to provide an impetus for policy-oriented programs and vice versa.