The Politics of Pathos- From Eric and Aby Warburg till Today

In 1933, Eric Warburg, founder of the Atlantik-Brücke, recognized the imminent danger in Germany and saved the world-renowned library of his uncle, Aby Warburg, from almost certain destruction by the Nazis. From Hamburg, the library was transferred to London and is now known as The Warburg Institute.

The famous art historian Aby Warburg coined the term „Pathos Formula“ which he used to trace ancient gesture language in images by Renaissance artists like Albrecht Dürer, demonstrating the persistence of culturally coded, emotionally charged visual tropes. Today, we find that „pathos formulas“ have made their way into our politics, most notably represented by US President Donald Trump and his visual power economy. Our political discourse is increasingly permeated by pathos – performative rhetoric and gestures that cater to primal emotions rather than convey policy messages, thereby cementing senses of identity or resentment.

At this special event at the Warburg Institute, Dr. Nagila Warburg will introduce the recently released biography Eric Warburg: A Transatlantic Life authored by Jeanette Erazo Heufelder together with Bill Sherman, Director, Warburg Institute.

This will be followed by a speech by former German Ambassador Dr. Emily Haber on the politics of pathos in today’s digital age and the impact of images on today’s societies. Moderated by Friederike von Tiesenhausen, we will then discuss how this attacks the core foundations of our democracy and its institutions.