Latest news with #MarcusReuter
DW
6 days ago
- General
- DW
Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius enjoys social media revival – DW – 06/08/2025
How do you keep calm in times of crisis? What do people need to be happy? Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius is often quoted online for answers. This once-powerful man would have preferred to be a philosopher. "Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig." Wise statements like this can be found in the "Meditations" of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (121-180 C.E.). He had never intended these reflections for publication, having written them purely for himself, but they have become some of the most widely read writings after the Bible and the Quran. A bestseller, so to speak, which has been translated into numerous languages worldwide. Known today as a philosopher-king, Marcus Aurelius ruled at a time marked by crises and catastrophes. He ascended to the throne in 161 C.E., just a few years before the Marcomannic Wars (166-180 C.E.) — the Marcomanni were Germanic tribes — which would shake the Roman Empire to its foundations. In addition, there were economic problems, social tensions and the spread of the Antonine Plague, a form of smallpox, throughout the Roman emperor's territory. Two museums in Trier are co-hosting a major exhibition on Marcus Aurelius Image: Landesmuseum Trier 'You have power over your mind, not outside events' Equanimity — that was one of the basic principles of Marcus Aurelius, who was a great fan of the Stoics, an ancient school of philosophy founded by the Greek Zeno of Citium in 300 B.C.E. Marcus Aurelius wanted to be a good ruler, but what is good governance? That question, which remains relevant to this day, was of great concern to him, as reflected in his "Meditations." But his contemporaries would never have read his writings, according to archaeologist Marcus Reuter, director of the Rheinisches Landesmuseum in Trier. "The Romans also never saw him as a philosopher-king. His writings were never made public during his lifetime. He wrote for himself, in the quiet of his room in the evening." Aurelius only acquired the image of the philosopher-king after the publication of his "Meditations" in the 15th or 16th century. Reuter and historian Viola Skiba, director of the Stadtmuseum Simeonstift in Trier, have co-curated a joint exhibition , in each of their institutions, on Marcus Aurelius, set to run from June 15 to November 23, 2025. Skiba says the themes of the exhibition are more current than they had anticipated. Particularly in these crisis-ridden and polarized times, the question of what good leadership looks like has taken on a new urgency. At the same time, the question is as old as human history itself, and was clearly a focus in the ancient world. Museum directors Marcus Reuter and Viola Skiba co-curated the joint exhibition Image: Rheinisches Landesmuseum Trier Donald Trump 'not a role model' What, according to Marcus Aurelius, distinguishes good governance? "Basically, it is guided by the cardinal virtues of antiquity," says Skiba. Those desirable virtues include wisdom, justice, prudence and moderation. A key concept is the "orientation towards the common good," acting in a way that truly benefits the community as a whole. "This is, so to speak, also what separates a good ruler from a bad one according to [the Greek philospher] Aristotle." Reuter adds that Marcus Aurelius would most likely have considered Donald Trump "not a good leader, and certainly not a role model." But of course, Marcus Aurelius was a product of his time, who grew up within the social structures of antiquity. "There was slavery, and not even Marcus Aurelius wanted to abolish it," according to Reuter. The emperor also did not question "that there were people with and without Roman civil rights, or that women did not have the same rights as men." From today's perspective, it may also seem odd to consider as virtuous an emperor who waged brutal wars. "According to ancient standards, the emperor was expected to ensure the security of the empire and protect its inhabitants — even by very brutal means if necessary," says Reuter. "He was extensively involved in court cases. He endeavored to pass just judgments, and always put the interests of the state first," adds Reuter. The construction of the Porta Nigra in Trier — today the city's famous landmark — can also be traced back to Marcus Aurelius. It was part of the city wall that Aurelius had built to protect its citizens. A fragment from Marcus Aurelius' 'Meditations' from the 15th century Image: Bistumsarchiv Trier (BATr) Abt. 95,1 Nr. 23 'Very little is needed to make a happy life' Aphorisms like the above can seem like mockery coming from a wealthy emperor, but they were meant sincerely. Indeed, Marcus Aurelius cultivated a rather modest lifestyle and even had imperial household items — his private assets — auctioned off when the state was in financial crisis. "As far as I know, no Roman emperor before or after him did that," says Reuter. He also apparently spent a lot of time pondering the meaning of life, which is presumably the reason so many young people nowadays are interested in him and his writings. In Reuter's estimation, "his 'Meditations' are a little treasure trove containing something to address nearly every situation in life." The archaeologist points out that Marcus Aurelius' writings don't lend themselves to being read from front to back, but are well-suited to dipping into to find inspiration. They are, after all, the private musings of someone who spent time thinking about what was truly important in life. So it's small wonder that quotes by the Roman emperor can be found all over social media. The exhibition in Trier builds on this contemporary interest in Marcus Aurelius and the topics that occupied him. It's designed to inspire visitors from all over the world to reflect on themselves, society, and what a long-ago Roman emperor still has to say to us today. Or, as Viola Skiba puts it, "Every society is based on individuals, and if each and every individual asks themselves these philosophical and political questions, then it also works as a whole." This article was originally published in German.
Business Wire
05-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
AFYREN and Südzucker Celebrate 5 Years of Strategic Bioeconomy Partnership
CLERMONT-FERRAND, France & LYON, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News: AFYREN (Euronext: ALAFY), a greentech company offering manufacturers biobased, low-carbon ingredients through a unique fermentation technology based on a circular model, and Südzucker AG ( have committed to extend their long-term partnership to advance sustainable, biobased and circular chemical production aligned with the EU's green transition goals. The partnership, central to the EU's AFTER-BIOCHEM initiative led by AFYREN, was solidified in a 2021 multi-year contract. As part of the agreement, Südzucker AG supplies non-food agricultural by-products from sugar production as feedstock for AFYREN NEOXY, AFYREN's first industrial plant producing a family of seven 100% biobased carboxylic acids, ensuring procurement safety on a local level. Over the past years, the two partners have established a unique long-term feedstock partnership and created a new value chain in Europe. Biomass availability is a key challenge for the bioeconomy, which the EU recognizes as a strategic value chain for green growth, industrial resilience, and reduced fossil resources dependence. As demand rises, securing sustainable and responsibly sourced feedstock is essential to avoid competition with food and ensure long-term resource availability within planetary boundaries. By extending their collaboration beyond AFTER-BIOCHEM, AFYREN and Südzucker AG contribute to the development of a strong bioeconomy sector throughout Europe, converting sustainably sourced non-food biomass into multiple high added-value products for diversified markets. ' Our ongoing partnership with Südzucker, Europe's leading sugar producer, has been instrumental in securing long-term, competitive access to key raw materials and ensuring supply safety,' said Nicolas SORDET, Chief Executive Officer of AFYREN. ' Together, we have built a circular economy model through the AFTER-BIOCHEM project, creating new biobased value chains and exploring additional business opportunities to mitigate environmental damage, optimize carbon footprint and drive sustainable agricultural practices. ' An important factor to this partnership is the locality of AFYREN NEOXY and Südzucker AG, which has thousands of hectares neighboring the flagship biorefinery in Carling-Saint-Avold, near the French-German border, thus ensuring a guaranteed supply of local biobased feedstock. ' Our collaboration with AFYREN enables us to contribute to upcycle sugar beet co-products into high-value chemicals, reducing reliance on petroleum derivatives, ' noted Marcus Reuter, Head of Co‑products of Südzucker AG. ' This partnership underscores our commitment to work with local innovative partners to build a strong bioeconomy sector throughout Europe, turning sustainably sourced non-food biomass into valuable products. By aligning sustainability across our entire value chain, we are meeting evolving customer demands while diversifying the valorization of our product portfolio and contributing to the circular economy our product portfolio and contribute to a circular bioeconomy that aligns with evolving market demands. ' The partnership enables AFYREN and Südzucker AG to explore new opportunities for strategic collaborations, ensuring sustainable agricultural practices to help build the new bioeconomy beyond borders. The AFTER-BIOCHEM project, launched in May 2020, supported the creation of the first flagship biorefinery of its kind – AFYREN NEOXY – to convert agricultural co-products into natural, high-value molecules for use in a wide range of industries: fragrances & flavorings, personal care, food & feed, pharmaceuticals, and industrial chemicals. Funded with €33 million from the EU's Horizon 2020 Program and the Bio Based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI-JU), now Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE-JU), the consortium includes partners from France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and The Netherlands – among them AFYREN and Südzucker AG. About AFYREN AFYREN is a French greentech company, founded in 2012, focused on providing innovative, sustainable solutions to reduce reliance on fossil-based resources. AFYREN's proprietary, nature-inspired fermentation technology valorizes local biomass from non-food agricultural co-products to produce 100% biobased, low-carbon carboxylic acids. The company's sustainable solutions address decarbonization challenges in a wide variety of strategic sectors, including human and animal nutrition, flavors and fragrances, life sciences, materials science, plus lubricants and technical fluids. AFYREN's competitive, plug-and-play, circular technology enables manufacturers to adopt sustainable solutions without modifying production processes. The company's first industrial plant, AFYREN NEOXY, a joint venture with Bpifrance's SPI fund, is based in the Grand-Est region of France, serving primarily the European market. AFYREN is also pursuing a project in Thailand with a global leader in the sugar industry and is building its presence in the Americas, based on existing distribution agreements. At the end of 2024, AFYREN employed 130 people across sites in Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand and Carling Saint-Avold. Committed to continuous innovation, the company invests 20% of its annual budget in R&D to further develop the range of sustainable solutions. AFYREN is listed on Euronext Growth ® Paris since 2021 (ISIN code: FR0014005AC9, ticker: ALAFY). For more information, visit and follow us on LinkedIn. About Südzucker AG Südzucker is a major player in the food industry with its sugar, special products, starch and fruit segments, and Europe's leading ethanol producer with its CropEnergies segment. In the traditional sugar business, the group is Europe's number one supplier of sugar products, with 21 sugar factories and two refineries, extending from France in the west via Belgium, Ger-many and Austria, through to Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, Bosnia, and Moldova in the east. The special products segment, with its consumer-oriented functional ingredients for food and animal feed (BENEO), chilled/frozen products (Freiberger) and portion packs (PortionPack Group), operates in dynamic growth markets. Südzucker's CropEnergies segment is Europe's leading producer of renewable ethanol, with production sites in Germany, Belgium, France and Great Britain. Other products in this segment are protein food and animal feed products as well as biogenic carbon dioxide. The starch segment comprises AGRANA's starch and ethanol activities. The group's fruit segment operates globally, is the world market leader for fruit preparations for dairies and is a leading supplier of fruit juice concentrates in Europe. In 2024/25, the group employed about 19.300 persons and generated revenues of about EUR 9.7 billion.
