About Friedrich

Friedrich Wolfgang Opitz is currently working on his dissertation on structural change and populism in the American Midwest and Eastern Germany as part of a research stay in Wisconsin. Between deindustrialization and decarbonization in both regions, he explores material and immaterial experiences of transformation, and what can be learned from the economic changes of past decades for current challenges. Before, Friedrich studied in the US (Ohio University) and France (Sciences Po Strasbourg), and holds a master’s degree in international relations with a focus on economics from the Technical University of Dresden. At the Industrial Heartlands Fellowship, Friedrich leads the Climate, Work, and Innovation Working Group.