On the Passing of Jürgen Habermas and Alexander Kluge

“Especially in the crisis of the Enlightenment, we cannot afford to lose heart.” So said Alexander Kluge in an interview with *Die Zeit* (13/2026) on the death of Jürgen Habermas. In it, he reflects aloud on the social challenges posed by authoritarian tendencies in society and a public sphere in crisis. This sentence conveys a sense of “nevertheless” or “despite all adversities.” For despondency—spreading fear—would amount to giving up on oneself. And so Alexander Kluge, who had been a companion to Jürgen Habermas for 70 years, clings to this impulse to “carry on” after his death. A few days later, Alexander Kluge also passed away.