We asked difgl founder and managing director Christoph Henseler what constitutes a good life in Berlin for him.
Christoph Henseler (M.A, Dipl.-Inform) is managing director and co-founder of difgl. The computer scientist and historian with many years of experience in the field of publicly funded research and development projects conducts research at the TU Berlin at the interface between society, technology and innovation, in particular in the fields of vocational training, smart cities, mobility and cyber security.
Since 2012, he has coordinated numerous research and innovation projects with the aim of bringing finished products from science directly to the market. In 2021, he founded the German Institute for the Good Life together with Katja Anclam. Here, too, he works on the topics of tourism, innovation and society.
What does a good life look like in Berlin, Christoph Henseler?
Berlin allows for many forms of a good life. The great heterogeneity of lifestyles and designs can coexist here.
What makes Berlin so worth living in for you?
The many open spaces that it has offered, at least until recently, and the very beautiful mix of urban areas on the one hand and parks and lakes on the other. I can jump into the lake directly after work (or even during – we are in Berlin after all) – that is quality of life for me.
And what makes life difficult for you in your hometown?
The loss of these open spaces. More and more is being fenced in and withdrawn from people’s use and design. Instead, there is more and more ugly urban development, which also regularly fails.
In your opinion, what would need to change to make a good life accessible to all?
A lot. But at the very least, we could initially agree that a better life for all is a common goal.
And what does tourism have to do with all of this?
On vacation, people try to realize their idea of a good life. This may not always succeed and is often full of contradictions – but we can still learn a lot about quality of life from these decisions.
