Symposium 1: Clashes of Knowledge
© Knowledge and Space
What is knowledge - and where are its limits? Clashes of Knowledge is all about the origins, forms, and conflicts of knowledge in cultural, social, and scientific contexts. The symposium focuses on the development of scientific knowledge, its criteria of validity and its limits, as well as its tense relationship with religion and ethics. It traces the historical development of how scientific rationality suppressed religious forms of knowledge and how science, religion and gnosis were intertwined as central currents in European cultural history. Another focus is on cognitive dissonance and the social mechanisms through which contradictory information is suppressed. Social norms, cultural pressure and institutional expectations shape what is accepted as valid knowledge.
Symposium 2: Milieus of Creativity
© Knowlede and Space
Milieus of Creativity examines the cultural, psychological, and social foundations of creative thinking and shows how creative achievements emerge from an interplay of individual dispositions and socio-spatial conditions. The focus is on the connection between creativity and problem solving, the affective and motivational factors of creative processes, and the differences in creative abilities in different social contexts. The symposium highlights the role of creative milieus in regional knowledge economies and shows how knowledge is processed and made productive in economic structures. Creativity also proves to be a central element in scientific breakthroughs: it arises where institutional frameworks and research-oriented environments foster new ways of thinking.
Symposium 3: Geography of Science
© Knowledge and Space
Geographies of Science examines how scientific knowledge emerges in spatial and local contexts and why research is never location-independent. Scientific innovations arise from specific conditions: the quality of existing infrastructure, established research styles, regional networks, and political and cultural frameworks. The focus is on the spatial organization of scientific work. The architecture of laboratories, museums, and faculties influences creative processes as well as informal networks, spatial arrangements of people and equipment, and local practices of exchange. It becomes apparent how strongly places shape the form, circulation, and recognition of knowledge. The symposium shows that scientific production and use are always tied to spatial settings.
Symposium 4: Cultural Memories
© Knowledge and Space
How does knowledge arise from memory? Cultural Memories focuses on cognitive mechanisms of storage and reconstruction as well as the transfer of knowledge between people, supported by findings from psychology and brain research. The symposium considers individual and collective memory as dynamic processes that are shaped by spatial and cultural contexts and expressed through specific semiotic codes. Museums, monuments, and memorials function as spatial repositories of cultural knowledge that preserve, trigger, and socially anchor memories. In addition, it becomes apparent how cultural memories are preserved, shaped, or transformed - for example, through political framing, social practices, or changes in collective self-understanding.
Symposium 5: Knowledge and Economy
© Knowledge and Space
Knowledge and Economy examines the conditions under which knowledge acquires economic value and the resulting social consequences. The focus is on the distinction between knowledge that becomes marketable and knowledge that, despite its social relevance, is not exploited economically. Particular attention is paid to the spatial dimension of technological developments. Knowledge, innovations, and new technologies shape the competitiveness of regions, influence economic dynamics, and create significant differences in regional innovation strength. Measurable factors such as infrastructure, networks, and institutional framework conditions determine these divergences. The symposium shows how complex the role of knowledge in economic processes actually is.
Symposium 6: Learning Organizations
© Knowledge and Space
How do organizations use, store, and develop knowledge - and how do spatial, structural, and social conditions shape these processes? Learning organizations focus on the question of where specialized knowledge is most effectively located within an organization, depending on goals, uncertainties in the environment, and internal structures. The symposium highlights the psychological, sociological, and geographical foundations of organizational learning. It shows how organizations learn from successes and mistakes, how they absorb impulses from their spatial environment, and how comparison with competitors triggers learning processes. Factors such as institutional routines, power relations, network structures, or internal conflicts can promote or inhibit these dynamics.
Symposium 7: Knowledge and Power
© Knowledge and Space
Knowledge and Power analyzes how different forms of knowledge establish, secure, and legitimize power. The focus is on the interconnection between knowledge and power, visible in historical and contemporary forms of the instrumentalization of scientific authority. The symposium shows how knowledge has been used politically as a resource - even to the point of making supposed "promises of salvation" that shaped social expectations. One focus is on mechanisms of control and manipulation: censorship, media alliances, and strategically placed information flows shape what becomes publicly visible and which voices are heard. The construction of collective identities is also a focus. Archives, historical politics, and cultural narratives shape social self-images and define which past is recognized or suppressed.
Symposium 8: Ethnic and Cultural Dimensions of Knowledge
© Knowledge and Space
Cultural identity, education, and knowledge are closely intertwined. Ethnic and Cultural Dimensions of Knowledge examines how education systems influence the development of cultural identities while contributing to the integration, assimilation, or marginalization of minorities. The deliberate destruction of knowledge is also addressed. The focus is on the diversity of concepts of knowledge: different cultures have their own traditions of knowledge production and evaluation. Indigenous knowledge plays just as central a role as the question of how Western scientific understanding has been adopted or rejected worldwide. In addition, the symposium addresses spatial and social inequalities in the dissemination of education and digital literacy.
Symposium 9: Knowledge and Action
© Knowledge and Space
Knowledge is considered the basis for goal-oriented action, but the connection between knowledge and action is complex. Knowledge and Action is dedicated to the interrelationships between knowledge, capacity to act, and rationality. The focus is on the interplay of different forms of knowledge with cognitive and emotional processes that shape action. Routines, experiences, intuition, and formal knowledge influence decisions just as much as social norms and situational perceptions. The question of different concepts of rationality is also examined. While classical theories often assume purely purpose-rational action, the symposium considers approaches that incorporate everyday actions, limited rationality, and symbolic patterns of interpretation. In addition, current perspectives in action theory will be discussed. The spectrum ranges from subject-centered and symbolic approaches to the question of how knowledge creates or limits options for action in the first place.
Symposium 10: Spatial Mobility of Knowledge
© Knowledge and Space
The spatial mobility of knowledge and knowledge networks is a central feature of the global knowledge society. Spatial Mobilities of Knowledge examines how knowledge, ideas, and skilled workers circulate across time and space. Travel, migration, and international cooperation are considered key drivers of knowledge production and innovation. At the same time, the content, meaning, and application of knowledge are changing as a result of these mobility processes. Not all types of knowledge spread equally successfully: cultural, social, political, and economic factors act as filters or amplifiers. The role of migrants, expats, and mobile experts in global knowledge exchange is also examined. Their movements influence not only the structure of international networks, but also the development of innovation centers and knowledge economies.