Extraordinary moments that inspire hope. Climate, pandemic, war – the melody of our time sounds bleak. Yet there have been, and still are, those shining moments that keep faith in humanity alive, despite everything, despite its self-destructive tendencies, its mistakes, and shortcomings. These are the extraordinary moments in which people demonstrate what they can also be, offering hope for a future that lies ahead of us.

"Moments of Humanity" – this is what Stefan Zweig called his collection of historical vignettes in 1927. Nearly a century later, the weekly newspaper Die Zeit has published new shining moments, from which this book has emerged. These are different moments than those of Zweig. They reflect our changed perspective on the world. LSD-party-throwing hippies are included alongside the social democrat Otto Wels with his powerful speech against Hitler's Enabling Act. Sometimes it is a great adventure like Thor Heyerdahl on his raft in the Pacific, sometimes scientific progress, as with Rosalind Franklin, who deciphered the DNA structure and was cheated out of the credit for her work by three men. Sometimes it is a significant achievement like the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, and sometimes a lost shining moment, as in the case of the murdered African hope-bearer Patrice Lumumba. Yet, one is always emotionally moved, as in the story of the American pilot who saves Vietnamese people during the My Lai massacre from his own comrades – a spark of humanity even in the worst barbarism. And these shining moments are always a pleasure to read, for great history is, above all, made up of great stories.

In cooperation with Die Zeit. Shining moments for our time. Stories that touch emotionally. Even in the darkest moment, a small light can still be found. With texts by Iris Radisch, Michael Thumann, Volker Weidermann, and other outstanding authors.