The presentation focusses on the current situation in the intelligence services in Germany. To this end, there will first be a brief overview of the various authorities and services that are active in intelligence services in Germany and what their different tasks are. The legal framework and powers of the services at home and abroad are examined. It then addresses the question of why intelligence services in a democracy actually have the privilege of secrecy and why the services are allowed to disregard fundamental rights in their work. How do political theory and political analysis explain this contradiction? The lecture will conclude with some pragmatic ideas on how the public as well as the services themselves could deal with the tension between intelligence services and democracy in Germany.
Registration for the lecture is possible by e-mail to volkshochschule@erfurt.de, quoting the course number 24-10264, or on site at the Adult Education Centre, Schottenstraße 7. The lecture is free of charge and is sponsored by the Thuringian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport.