#rp26 speaker Hanno Sauer & Mareice Kaiser: Invisible order? What Class means today

Whether they have millions in assets or earn just enough to get by, most people in Germany see themselves as part of the middle class. Yet starting conditions are still not the same for everyone. Despite social change, one’s background continues to determine opportunities for upward mobility, and class differences remain surprisingly stable across generations. This applies in particular to the distribution of wealth, while the struggle for status and recognition manifests itself far more subtly.

Amidst this, do we hold on to the hope of change, or have we long since come to terms with the persistence of inequality? At #rp26. Hanno Sauer and Mareice Kaiser discuss answers to these questions in a conversation with host Geraldine de Bastion.

Hanno Sauer holds a Ph.D. in philosophy and works as an author. He teaches ethics at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. His book "Moral. Die Erfindung von Gut und Böse" (Moral: The Invention of Good and Evil) was published by Piper Publishing in 2023, as was his most recent book "Klasse. Die Entstehung von Oben und Unten (Class: The Emergence of Top and Bottom) in 2025.

Mareice Kaiser scrolls, writes and speaks out about issues of justice. As a journalist and author, she focuses on inclusion, politics, and labor. In 2023, she gave a talk at re:publica titled “Not Everyone Can Become Haftbefehl” in which she explored the intersections of classism, pop culture, and politics. Mareice advocates for journalism that is made by everyone for everyone. Together with Josephine Apraku, Mareice Kaiser has been discussing what we all need on the podcast “Revolution & Ferien” (Revolution and Holiday) since early 2025.