Forum

Forum

The IGZA is always interested in interdisciplinary exchange, dialogue and networking on the history and future of work. Various topics on the history and future of labour have their place in the forum.

Contents

New IGZA book: From war to peace capability

The IGZA's new book will be published for the 2025 Book Fair in Frankfurt:

From war capability to peace capability Analyses and materials on the history and future of war and peace J.H.W. Dietz Verlag, 307 pages, 22 euros

The book will be available in stores from 15 October 2025. → more information
18 September 2025

Exhibition opening 30 October - Karl Marx House, Trier

On 30 October 2025, the Karl Marx House in Trier the opening of the 'Matrix of Labour' exhibition. As part of its travelling exhibition, the Institute for the History and Future of Work presents structures and content on the history and future of work. The exhibition provides insights into the history and future of labour on timelines and in-depth exhibition elements. essential epochs the history of labour, the development of Labour productivity, i.e. the expanding productive and destructive forces of labour, to the Standard of living and to the The future of work in the 21st century. The 'big picture' ranges from the age of the wild boar to the future opportunities for transforming our finance-capitalist economy into a sustainable, solidarity-based market economy with freedom and prosperity for all. Programme:

18.00 Greeting by Jürgen Schmidt, Karl Marx House

18.05 Lecture - Cornelius Markert (IGZA): Intention and goals of the matrix of work

18.25 Panel discussion - The future of work in times of artificial intelligence, automation and demographic change

It discusses:

    • Dörte Schall, Minister for Labour, Social Affairs, Transformation and Digitalisation of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate
    • Korinna Schönhärl, Professor of Modern History at the University of Trier
    • Timo Ahr, Deputy District Chairman of the Rhineland-Palatinate / Saarland DGB District and SPD Member of the Saarland State Parliament
    • Cornelius Markert, Managing Director of the Institute for the History and Future of Labour
    • Moderation: Alexandra Jaeger, Advisor for Trade Union History at the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung

19.30 Opening of the exhibition

19.40 Snack bar

The event is open to the public and free of charge. For organisational reasons, please register by 27.10.2025. You can register at https://www.fes.de/lnk/matrix 
Venue: Administration Karl-Marx-Haus, Brückenstraße 5, 54290 Trier Contact: Jürgen Schmidt, Juergen.Schmidt∂fes.de, Tel.: 0651 / 970 68-0 Flyer: Exhibition opening: Matrix of Labour - History and Future of Work
17 September 2025

Virtual special exhibition on LABOR.A 2025 now online

The IGZA participates in the LABOR.A 2025 with a special virtual exhibition. The main theme of this year's LABOR.A, »Justice«, is closely linked to the content of the IGZA project "Matrix of Labour". Participation and co-determination are democracy in action and elementary prerequisites for good work. The IGZA exhibition offers a 'broad view' of the long lines of change in labour as well as the topic of justice, with a focus on good work and qualification. The special exhibition has been online since today and can be accessed via the IGZA website until 31 March 2026. → to the special exhibition  
17 September 2025

Review of the 'Matrix of Labour' in spw

The current issue of the spw - Journal for socialist politics and economics (issue 262) contains a detailed review of our books on the Matrix of work. The reviewer is Thilo Scholle. He praises the books' central approach of thinking about labour not only in economic terms, but also in interdisciplinary terms, placing it in historical contexts and highlighting framework conditions and alternatives for the future.

The review offers a differentiated examination of the content and invites further discussion. We appreciate the interest and critical reception!

To the review: https://www.spw.de/spw-relaunch/die-matrix-der-arbeit/

 
1 July 2025

IGZA exhibition in the Karl Marx House in Trier

From 30 October 2025, the travelling exhibition on the 'Matrix of Work' will be on display in Trier, in the Karl Marx House. Further information on the exhibition and the opening will follow. You can already download the digital version of the exhibition here on our website and move virtually through the various 'rooms' of the exhibition. The virtual exhibition is constantly being updated.
Links to the Karl Marx House: General information Permanent exhibition Friedrich Ebert Foundation Museum Karl Marx House Brückenstr. 10, 54290 Trier
8 May 2025

IGZA working paper 'Germany 2070: Labour market, demographics and productivity'

The IGZA working paper 'Germany 2070: Labour market, demographics and productivity' is now online. In this paper we analyse the effects of the demographic change ahead in Germany in 2070 (baseline scenario) and assess the impact of various labour market factors on the future standard of living. On this basis we develop the thesis that employment security, digitalisation, competitiveness and increasing prosperity can be combined - on the basis of innovation and automation, decent work, higher labour force participation and targeted immigration.
23 January 2025

Review essay on the 'Matrix of Labour' in the AfS

The current volume 64 of the Archiv für Sozialgeschichte (2024) contains a very well-founded and readable review by Jürgen Kocka on the matrix of labour.

Long-term history of labour and its productivity Review essay on: IGZA (ed.), Matrix der Arbeit. Materials on the history and future of labour

Jürgen Kocka | 455-464

to the 'Archive for Social History'
14 November 2024

Presentation of the IGZA working paper on the labour market, demography and productivity at the IAB

On 30 October, at the invitation of the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) and the Federal Employment Agency, Marc Amlinger and Cornelius Markert spoke at the IAB Colloquium event series presented the IGZA working paper #5 - Germany 2070: Labour market, demography and productivity.

Together with Andrea Nahles (Chairwoman of the BA Executive Board), Prof Bernd Fitzenberger (Director of the IAB) and other labour market experts discussed the central theses of the IGZA paper.

The working paper presents scenarios that can be used to cope with demographic change. The decisive contribution to the solution can only result from an increase in labour productivity. The conditions for a socio-ecologically sustainable innovation and productivity initiative are therefore outlined.

The working paper is freely available for download: IGZA Working Paper #5

 The colloquium was followed by the opening of the Travelling exhibition on the Labour Matrix at the premises of the Federal Employment Agency by Andrea Nahles and the IGZA.

31 October 2024

Travelling exhibition at the Federal Employment Agency, Nuremberg

The Travelling exhibition of the IGZA is from 30.10. to 27.11.2024 on the premises of the Federal Employment Agency in Nuremberg as a guest.

Federal Employment Agency Regensburger Str. 104 90478 Nuremberg

Travelling exhibition on the history and future of work
9 September 2024

Book launch at the Haus der Geschichte des Ruhrgebiets

On 22 October, the IGZA was invited by the Fritz Hüser Institute for Literature and Culture of the Working World (Dortmund) and the History of the Ruhr Foundation (Bochum) at the Haus der Geschichte. Dr Cornelius Markert will present the matrix of the work as part of the "Erlesenes" series.

Book presentation as part of the "Erlesenes" series" Matrix of labour. Lecture and discussion with Cornelius Markert 22 October 2024, 6 pm

Moderation: Arnold Maxwill, Fritz Hüser Institute

House of the History of the Ruhr Area Library of the Ruhr Area Clemensstr. 17-19 44789 Bochum

Free admission, no registration required. House of the History of the Ruhr: Announcement (last accessed: 15.10.2024)
17 August 2024

Download 7 volumes

The 7 volumes of the 'Matrix of Labour' (2023) are now available to download free of charge: Matrix of Labour - Download
5 June 2024

Review of the matrix materials in Economy and Society (2024)

Herbert Schaaff has written a review of the Matrix of Labour. This was published in Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft: PDF (8 pages) Economy and Society 49 (4): 103-110
22 May 2024

Matrix of the work - short version

In June 2024, an abridged version of the »Matrix of Labour« will be published with the title: "Mitten im dunklen Tal - Am Ende Wohlstand und Freiheit?". While the seven volumes of the materials primarily present the specific epochs of labour, this abridged version aims to link the historically broad view more closely with the perspectives of the next 100 years. However, the focus here is also on correctly summarising the empirical evidence from the various research fields of archaeology, anthropology, economics, history and the social sciences - in particular the common thread of productivity development. more 24 Euro, 450 pages, J.H.W. Dietz Verlag ISBN 978-3-8012-4296-1
15 May 2024

Matrix touring exhibition at the University of Labour

From 5 June, the IGZA's travelling exhibition on the Matrix of Labour will be on display at the University of Labour for four weeks. Opening: 5 June, 5 p.m. - University of Labour, Frankfurt am Main A digital version of the exhibition will be made available at igza.org at the same time.
22 April 2024

IGZA at the Personnel Management Congress 2024

At the invitation of the Federal Association of Personnel Managers (BPM), the IGZA will be represented at the Personnel Management Congress 2024 (20/21 July, Berlin) with time tables and a presentation entitled »New productivity and the success cycle of sustainable personnel management« by Cornelius Markert. PMK 2024 programme / PMK Homepage (as at 12/03/2024)
12 March 2024

Review of the Matrix of Labour in »Jungle World«

A review of the matrix of Peter Kern's work has been published in »Jungle World«. The matrix of work and how to free yourself from it (08/02/2024)
19 February 2024

Conference „Digitalisation of the world of work“ (11-13 March)

From 11 to 13 March 2024, a conference of the DFG Priority Programme „Digitalisation of the World of Work“ will take place in Berlin. Speakers from the social sciences, economics and history will take an empirical and theoretical look at the current reconfigurations of work and technology, the multi-layered dynamics of transformation and the changing forms and places of value creation. The conference is aimed at academics as well as those responsible in business, administration, counselling, politics and the social partners. No participation fees will be charged. The IGZA will be present in Session 4 "Historical perspectives on the digital transformation of work" with a contribution by Cornelius Markert on the "Matrix of work - a broad, interdisciplinary view of the digitalisation of the world of work" (12.03., 10.30-12.00). Where: Harnack Haus, Berlin. When: 11 to 13 March 2024 Website with registration option: Link (19.02.2024)
19 February 2024

Reviews of the „Matrix of Labour“

In recent weeks, various reviews of the "Matrix of Labour" have been published, which we would like to draw your attention to: Peter Kern Klaus Lang
16 January 2024

Contribution to the IAB Forum „History and future of labour: End or half-time of the great leap in productivity?“

Marc Amlinger and Cornelius Markert have published an article in the IAB Forum entitled "History and future of labour: End or half-time of the great productivity leap?". To the article (04.01.2024)
4 January 2024

APuZ article „AI in the world of work“

Christian Kellermann and Cornelius Markert have developed a Contribution to "AI in the world of work" published in "Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte" 42/2023, the supplement to the weekly newspaper "Das Parlament" published by the Federal Agency for Civic Education.

Link (13.10.2023)
16 October 2023

Caroline Rothauge: „Times in Germany 1879-1919“

On 25 September 2023, the habilitation thesis "Times in Germany 1879-1919 - Concepts, Codes, Conflicts" by Caroline Rothauge was published. She was awarded the Eichstätt University Society's prize for the best habilitation in 2022.

Carloline Rothauge was an IGZA Fellow at the re:work Institute at Humboldt University. She currently holds the professorship for 19th century German and European history at the University of Hamburg.

16 October 2023

Christian Kellermann and Tobias Kämpf appointed to the University of Labour

IGZA Fellows Christian Kellermann and Tobias Kämpf were appointed Professors of Social Sciences, Labour and Digitalisation at the University of Labour in Frankfurt in October 2023.

Christian Kellermann was Managing Director of IGZA from 2017 to 2019, held a professorship in economics with a focus on social policy at the University of Applied Sciences (THW) in Berlin and has been a Senior Researcher at the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) since 2021.

Tobias Kämpf was a researcher at the Institute for Social Science Research (ISF) in Munich for many years and a private lecturer at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. In the 2019/20 winter semester, he held the Chair of Sociology of Digital Transformation at Ruhr University Bochum. He is also co-editor of the journal "Arbeit".

Link to the University of Labour (01.10.2023)
1 October 2023

Presentation of the book „Matrix of Labour“ in Berlin

In September 2023, we presented our „Matrix of Labour“ to a good 70 interested parties from academia, politics and trade unions at the IG Metall building in Berlin. „A great work,“ said economic and social historian Jürgen Kocka, praising the seven volumes of analyses, theses, statistics and graphics. Another guest speaker, Andrea Nahles, Chairwoman of the Executive Board of the Federal Employment Agency, pointed out that the studies on automation and productivity are so interesting because they represent key factors for the future of work and prosperity.

A report on the event, the presentation slides, pictures and a look at the seven volumes can be found on the IGZA homepage.

to the event review

25 September 2023

„Matrix of Labour - Materials on the History and Future of Work“ published

The 7-volume "Matrix of Labour" is now available in bookshops. Further information
25 August 2023

Review of the „Work/Time“ conference of the German Labour History Association at the Museum der Arbeit in Hamburg

In November 2022, the Museum of Labour in Hamburg zwide conference of the German Labour History Association (GLHA) took place. In 16 presentations and a panel discussion, around 70 participants discussed the following topics Topic "Labour/Time" on the relationship between „labour“ and „time“ from a historical and sociological perspective, with a focus on the period from the 17th century to the present day. As part of the event, the IGZA presented its time table concept and exhibited five time tables. Jürgen Schmidt and Cornelius Markert were also represented with a contribution on "The development of working life from 1800 to 2000". Review of the GLHA (last accessed 15/03/2023) Conference report on the HsozKult portal (15.03.2023)  
15 March 2023

Event review - Presentation of the „Matrix of Labour“ at the House of Labour

On 20 October 2022, a good 50 interested people from academia, trade unions, politics and guests of the Frankfurt Book Fair came to the House of Labour for the presentation of the book "Matrix der Arbeit - Materialien zur Geschichte und Zukunft der Arbeit", which will soon be published by J.H.W. Dietz Verlag. After the presentation of central theses and content, an interesting discussion developed about the future framework conditions of work and long lines of development of human societies. The review of the event is now online: Link
27 October 2022

IGZA at the Frankfurt Book Fair

As part of the Frankfurt Book Fair, the IGZA will give a first insight into the book project currently being published entitled "Matrix der Arbeit - Materialien zur Geschichte und Zukunft der Arbeit". After the presentation, there will be an opportunity to talk to the IGZA, the House of Labour and J.H.W. Dietz-Verlag and to engage with the time charts on display.
The event will take place on 20 October 2022, from 11:00 to 13:00 at the House of Labour (Eschersheimer Landstr. 155-157, 60323 Frankfurt a.M.).
Invitation to the event
17 August 2022

Lazonick/Sakinç „Make Passengers Safer? Boeing Just Made Shareholders Richer.“

In an article published today and well worth reading, William Lazonick and Mustafa Erdem Sakinç look at corporate governance at Boeing and how this is linked to the two crashes of Boeing 737 Max 8 aeroplanes with a total of 346 fatalities. They also trace the path that led to "maximising shareholder value" becoming the overriding goal of corporate governance. Their assessment: "Our research, based on publicly available information, strongly suggests that the dedication of Boeing's senior executives to increasing their company's profits and stock yield - which also augmented their own compensation - resulted in management decisions that contributed to the two 737 MAX crashes." To the article (31.05.2019)
31 May 2019