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Counterforces (essay, 2025)

In 2025, Herter wrote the essay Counterforces (NL: En waar in ons de tegenkrachten?) on European politics of trauma and Giorgio Agamben’s notion of peace. Written from a personal account of life in Berlin, the associative text explores the parallels between personal trauma and historical traumas. The essay moves to a broader critique of European hypocrisy, challenging the continent's selective empathy. Drawing from the book Idea della Prosa by Giorgio Agamben, Herter distinguishes between a superficial peace based on political pacts and symbols, and a more substantial form of peace, described as a "homeless stay in non-recognition."

Read the full publication in Dutch on: https://www.groene.nl/


 Credits

Text: Olivier Herter

Publication

2025    De Groene Amsterdammer


Counterforces - An associative essay on European trauma culture and Giorgio Agamben’s notion of peace.
2025