Perceived polarisation. Is the world becoming more conservative? Has German reunification been a success? Even the titles of interviews with Steffen Mau Make clear that, through his research into processes of societal transformation, the sociologist reaches a broad public. Steffen Mau's analyses of social inequality, the welfare state, Europeanisation, migration, digitalisation, borders and political conflict have shaped debates in academia, politics and the public sphere for years. For this, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Stifterverband are now honouring him with the 2026 Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker Prize. The prize, endowed with €30,000, is awarded for contributions to the scholarly examination of challenges of major societal importance, as a German distinction for researchers in the field of science-based policy advice. The award ceremony will take place on 3 December 2026 at the Leopoldina's main building in Halle (Saale).
"In his sociological research, Steffen Mau confronts the complexity of modern societies; he analyses incisively without prematurely simplifying the processes under consideration," says Bettina Rockenbach, President of the Leopoldina, of this year's Weizsäcker Prize winner. "In doing so, he is committed neither to narrow methodological schools within his discipline nor to short-term diagnoses of the present," the economist continues.
"Steffen Mau has for many years been one of the outstanding figures in German sociology. He analyses key contemporary processes of societal transformation and places them within a sound theoretical framework. Mau communicates his research findings to the public in a way that resonates far beyond the boundaries of his discipline and contributes to the promotion of democracy," says Melanie Maas-Brunner, President of the Stifterverband.
In his research, Steffen Mau combines the analysis of empirical data with historical context and sociological theory. His work focuses on social inequality, the welfare state, Europeanisation, migration, digitalisation, borders and political conflict. Mau gained international attention, among other things, for his work on borders and global mobility. In it, he describes borders not as remneants of a bygone era, but as powerful institutions of the present, which help determine who can move freely, who gains access to opportunities, and how inequality is perpetuated worldwide.
Another focus of his research is the question of why social differences give rise to political conflict. Mau observes that conflicts do not run solely along the divide between rich and poor. Issues of migration, belonging, gender, lifestyles, climate and expectations for the future can also shape societal disputes. In doing so, Mau looks not only at division but also at the commonalities that continue to exist. His work on Eastern Germany has attracted considerable attention. He shows how profoundly the upheaval after 1989 affected life courses, institutions and political attitudes. Through his research, Mau helps to bring greater objectivity to the debate on Eastern Germany and to better understand the long-term consequences of transformation, experiences of recognition, and political participation.
Steffen Mau is a sociologist and, since October 2025, Director of the Department of "Inequality, Transformation and Conflict" at the Max Planck Institute for Political and Social Science in Göttingen. Since 2015, he has taught as Professor of Macrosociology at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. After studying sociology and political science at Freie Universität Berlin, Mau earned his doctorate at the European University Institute in Florence with a thesis on the welfare state in Britain and Germany. He then held positions at Humboldt University of Berlin and the University of Bremen, where he was initially Junior Professor of Social Policy and later Professor of Political Sociology and Comparative Analysis of Contemporary Societies. For his research, Mau has received numerous awards, including the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize of the German Research Foundation (DFG) in 2021 and the Communicator Prize awarded by the Stifterverband and the DFG in 2023. Steffen Mau contributes his expertise to policy advice and knowledge transfer. Among other roles, he has been a member of the Scientific Commission of the German Science and Humanities Council, a member of the Expert Council on Integration and Migration, and a member of the joint working group "The Future of Work" of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the Leopoldina. He also advises ministries, foundations, and other institutions on issues of social development.
The Carl –Friedrich von Weizsäcker Prize is a science prize awarded by the Stifterverband and endowed with €30,000. It is presented every two years in cooperation with the Leopoldina to individual researchers or research teams who have contributed to the scholarly examination of problems of major societal importance. The first Weizsäcker Prize was awarded in 2009 to the scientist and civil rights activist Jens Reich. Since then, recipients have included marine researcher Antje Boetius, economist Christian Dustmann and neuropsychologist Thomas Elbert.