Book launch: "Saudämlich. Wie Dummheit unsere Gesellschaft gefährdet" by Zümrüt Gülbay-Peischard (event in German)

Stupidity is no longer a marginal phenomenon. It is not confined to the regulars’ table; it comments on social media, makes decisions in companies, votes, judges, expresses outrage – and is all too often tolerated, excused or even celebrated. This book is a ruthless analysis of a society that no longer calls out stupidity, but tolerates it. With great clarity and palpable anger, legal scholar Zümrüt Gülbay-Peischard describes why ‘the wiser person gives in’ is a fatal fallacy and how social media make stupidity not only visible but also lucrative. The result is sobering: stupidity costs time, money and social cohesion, and jeopardises democratic structures.

Zümrüt Gülbay-Peischard came to West Berlin at the age of two as the daughter of Turkish guest workers. She grew up in Wedding, a district often described in the media as a ‘problem area’, passed her A-levels as top of her year, studied business administration and law, obtained her PhD in European competition law at the age of 25, and worked as a solicitor and lecturer at various universities. She has been a professor of international business law at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences since 1998. In 2025, her book "Akadämlich: Why the so-called educational elite is squandering our future" was published by Quadriga Verlag.

The event will be held in German