Soon, small reactors will provide us with energy in the garden. The decline of forests can no longer be stopped. Socialism puts an end to social injustice. Really? Joachim Radkau has researched how Germans have envisioned their future since 1945. Hopes and fears, forecasts and visions, fatal errors and unexpected turns: In retrospect, one marvels at how confidently we believe we know what lies ahead. These ideas often serve as the basis for far-reaching decisions, whether concerning the environment, pensions, or education. An unusual perspective on German history from one of the most original historians of our time.