Dr. Maria Furtwängler – Prosperity and Security: A Slightly Different View of Nature

Tegernsee, January 23, 2026.
The Natural and the Artificial – Dimensions of Humanity is the guiding theme of the current lecture series at Korbinian’s Kolleg. The fourth lecture of the semester clearly focused on the natural dimension and evolved into a particularly powerful and inspiring evening. This was due in large part to the evening’s distinguished lecturer, Dr. Maria Furtwängler. Her keynote on the compatibility of economy and ecology was an appeal to the love of nature that was both emotionally moving and intellectually compelling, captivating around 300 guests in the fully occupied Grand Hall of the Spa & Resort Bachmair Weissach.

Host Korbinian Kohler welcomed the audience and his “dear hiking companion” Dr. Maria Furtwängler with exceptionally warm words. Even in her light-hearted anecdotes about their shared hikes, it became clear how deeply the evening’s speaker is connected to the local landscape and how intensely she engages with ecological interrelations. Korbinian Kohler and Professor Karsten Fischer, curator of Korbinian’s Kolleg, paid tribute to the wide-ranging interests and commitments of the guest lecturer, who shines not only as an actress and Tatort commissioner, but is also a trained physician, foundation founder, scientist, and philanthropist. Most recently, she has also impressed audiences with documentary films on insect decline and biodiversity—topics that would also take center stage that evening.

The protection of ecological diversity and sustainability does not have to stand in opposition to economic interests—this was the core message of Dr. Maria Furtwängler’s one-hour lecture. Numerous long-time companions, as well as her mother Kathrin Ackermann and her daughter Elisabeth, had traveled to the Spa & Resort Bachmair Weissach to attend. The lecture opened with personal reflections on experiences in nature in the Tegernsee Valley, sentiments unanimously shared by the audience: what a small paradise lies right on our doorstep, and what a privilege it is to live surrounded by clean water, fresh air, and healthy soil.

However, Furtwängler made it unmistakably clear—with striking figures and examples—that even this seemingly intact ecosystem has long been subject to human-induced change. Declines of up to 80 percent in certain insect species and the disappearance of once-native birds such as lapwings and skylarks are alarming signs that the web of life around us is suffering irreversible damage. Climate change and biodiversity loss must therefore not be pushed aside in public debate simply because other crises currently dominate attention. “We must not take a break in our efforts, because nature and physics are not good negotiating partners,” Furtwängler emphasized, concluding with a clear political demand: investment in nature must be treated with the same seriousness as investment in critical infrastructure.

She then made it clear that such warnings are by no means part of a “left-green agenda”—concern for the foundations of life is not an ideology. This statement was met with spontaneous applause from the audience.

Furtwängler subsequently broadened the perspective to global aspects of climate change and resource exploitation that are already having tangible economic consequences. Sharp price increases for coffee and cocoa, for example, are directly linked to monoculture farming in producing countries. Each additional degree of global warming leads to a noticeable decline in gross domestic product and increases the risk of existential threats in many regions—risks that may soon no longer be insurable. Jobs, prosperity, and health are acutely endangered if the regulating buffer capacities of nature continue to be ignored, Furtwängler warned.

In closing, she appealed to each individual to combine love for nature with a sense of responsibility for the future. After all, even the Bavarian Constitution explicitly calls for safeguarding the interests of future generations. “The time is ripe for a conserving form of conservatism,” Furtwängler concluded. Encouragingly, there are also recent signs that change is possible—such as the rapidly growing share of renewable energy worldwide, increasing forest coverage, and the successful protection of certain endangered species.

Following this powerful appeal, an engaging discussion unfolded with numerous thoughtful contributions from the audience. Topics ranging from agriculture and local politics to global interdependencies and geopolitical justice were discussed in depth by Dr. Maria Furtwängler, Professor Karsten Fischer, and Korbinian Kohler together with the audience. In the end, there was agreement on at least one point: genuine sustainability raises many complex and uncomfortable questions today—but the right answers are crucial for the lives of future generations.

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Korbinian’s Kolleg – Winter Semester 2025/26

Human beings constantly move within the tension between the natural and the artificial, grappling with moral and technological boundaries that continue to shift and force us to reflect on our scope for decision-making. This field of tension is the central theme of Korbinian’s Kolleg during the Winter Semester 2025/26. As always, distinguished scientists, politicians, and philosophers approach the topic from their respective disciplines, offering the audience thought-provoking impulses and inspiration at the highest level.

Upcoming dates and speakers:
Korbinians Kolleg Winter 2025/26 | Bachmair Weissach

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About Dr. Maria Furtwängler

Dr. Maria Furtwängler is a German actress, producer, and physician with a doctorate, best known since 2002 for her role as Tatort commissioner Charlotte Lindholm, which has drawn large television audiences. She founded the production company Atalante Film and has received numerous awards, including the German Television Award for Best Actress. In addition to her acting career, she is co-founder of the MaLisa Foundation, which she runs together with her daughter, advocating for gender equality, biodiversity, and fair media representation of women. She is also President of the Board of Trustees of German Doctors, a humanitarian medical aid organization operating worldwide. For her social commitment, she has received numerous honors, including the CARE Millennium Award 2024 and the German Cultural Award 2025.

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About Korbinian’s Kolleg

Korbinians Kolleg was founded in 2017 by Korbinian Kohler and Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Vossenkuhl. Their vision was to create an openly accessible forum at the Spa & Resort Bachmair Weissach for philosophical discourse and socio-political dialogue. Initiator and host Korbinian Kohler summarizes the goal of the lecture series as follows:
“We want to provide people with impulses that go beyond everyday life and encourage a dialogue that helps us progress as a society.”

The aim of Korbinian’s Kolleg is to discuss contemporary questions at the highest intellectual level and make them accessible to a broad audience. The lecture series takes place once a month during the winter semester, always on a Friday. Participation is free of charge for hotel guests as well as external visitors, subject to prior registration.

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Guests in Attendance Included

Among Korbinian Kohler’s guests at Korbinian’s Kolleg at the Spa & Resort Bachmair Weissach were, among others: Dr. Maria Furtwängler; Elisabeth Burda Furtwängler (daughter); her mother and fellow actress Kathrin Ackermann; Steffi Czerny (DLD); art expert Mon Müllerschön; artist Judith Milberg; artist Julius von Bismarck with his wife Violetta; Member of the German Bundestag Dr. Wolfgang Stefinger; Josef Bierschneider (Mayor of Kreuth); Robert Pölzer, Editor-in-Chief of BUNTE; Robert Kühn (Mayor of Bad Wiessee); Georg Gomolke (BILD); Max Scharnigg (author and journalist); Johannes Dudziak, Editor-in-Chief (ZEIT Mann); Dr. Beate Merck (CSU politician) with Christian Dennler, Elisabeth Kreutzkamm (owner of Dresdner Backhaus), and many others.

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Complimentary press images from Korbinian’s Kolleg on January 23, 2026, are available via Dropbox:
Korbinians Kolleg on January 23, 2026 with Dr. Maria Furtwängler

Photo credit: Alexander Courtman for Bachmair Weissach