(2024):

At the inter- and transdisciplinary conference "Reichtum. Filmanalytische Sonderiungen", Benjamin Neumann, Maya Halatcheva-Trapp and Marliese Weißmann presented research findings on representations of wealth in film on February 15, 2024. The conference took place from February 14 to 16, 2024 at the University of Koblenz.

From an intersectional perspective, interrelationships between different dimensions of inequality (ethnicity, class, gender, dis/ability, etc.) were examined and presented with regard to the narrative staging in various film productions. In addition, the lecture discussed different socio-political spaces of possibility that arise from various cinematic ambiguities.

(2024):

On 28.02.24, the project team organized an all-day workshop to which Dr. Nora Kottmann from the VW Foundation was also invited. In this context, we first presented an interim review of previous empirical findings from the field and reflected on these in theoretical and methodological terms. The second part of the internal workshop focused on a literature-based discussion of previous findings and their linkage.

The results of this workshop will be presented at conferences and in publications later this year.

(2024):

Nicole Burzan and Maya Halatcheva-Trapp were invited to give a lecture at the Vienna University of Applied Sciences of WKW on March 21, 2024. They presented the research project and discussed the potentials and challenges of qualitative research on wealthy families. The lecture took place as part of the Urban Future Talk "City and Social Inequality", which is organized in cooperation with the Social Inequality Section of the Austrian Sociological Association and the University of Vienna at FH Wien der WKW. The format brings together stakeholders from different disciplines and institutions.

(2024):

Trust plays an important role in wealthy families, especially when it comes to preserving and passing on wealth across generations. At the 16th Conference of the European Sociological Association (ESA) in Porto, Portugal, on August 28, 2024, initial empirical and methodological findings on trust in wealthy families and in the research process were presented.

(2024):

At the workshop on challenges and opportunities in ‘sensitive’ research fields, held on September 5‑6, 2024 at the University of Göttingen, we presented both subject‑specific and methodological challenges in studying wealthy families and exchanged ideas with colleagues from a range of disciplines.

(2024):

During the section conference of the German Sociological Association (DGS) from September 23 to September 25, 2024, we were able to address both methodological and content-related questions (e.g., regarding the self-perception and values of wealthy families or the role of family in society) within the session“New Perspectives on Class and Property,” we had the occasion to discuss both methodological and content-related questions (e.g., on self-location and values of wealthy families or the role of family relationships in the transfer of wealth) with other researchers and the expert audience.

In line with the session title, the event was held on the grounds of Osnabrück Castle, a venue that is also used by the University of Osnabrück.

(2024):

How do wealthy families view their values, traditions, and social position?

In the latest episode of the podcast “361° Sozialkompass” (361° Social Compass) from the Catholic Social Academy of Austria, Marliese Weißmann discusses the ongoing research project “Wealth as a Social Relationship.”

You can listen to the podcast here: https://361-sozialkompass.podigee.io/20-new-episode

(2025):

In their new article, Benjamin Neumann, Maya Halatcheva‑Trapp, and Marliese Weißmann examine how familial relationships are portrayed in wealthy families. Adopting an intersectional lens, they analyze the intertwining of race, class, gender, and disability across five selected films—Die Glücksritter, House of Gucci, Ziemlich beste Freunde, Crazy Rich Asians, and Parasite. The article derives from a lecture that was developed within the project.

The article has been published in the anthology Reichtum: Filmanalytische Sondierungen eines kulturellen Phänomens (Wealth: Film‑Analytical Explorations of a Cultural Phenomenon), edited by Oliver Dimbath and Stefan Neuhaus and published by Königshausen & Neumann. [Link to publisher's website]

(2025):

On March 10, 2025, Nicole Burzan was a guest on Saarland Radio's program “SR 2 – Der Nachmittag” (SR 2 – The Afternoon) and spoke with Jochen Marmit about the unequal distribution of wealth in Germany.

With the kind permission of Saarland Radio.

(2025):

“Crazy Rich”

Open house at the homes of the wealthiest families? Julia Friedrichs has succeeded in striking up conversations with the super‑rich, who share previously unknown insights into tax havens and luxury yachts. In her captivating reportage Crazy Rich (Berlin Verlag 2024), journalist and author Julia Friedrichs asks how much inequality a democratic community can actually tolerate. Do we need to set limits on wealth when 3,300 people in Germany own almost a quarter of all financial assets, or is wealth a private matter? Together with SOFI director Berthold Vogel, Friedrichs explores how we, as a society, want to live together.

In cooperation with the Georg‑August‑University of Göttingen’s Sociological Research Institute (SOFI). Further information on tickets and related details can be found on the Literaturhaus Göttingen website. Literaturhaus Göttingen.