Participation in the symposium on loneliness research in Hanover

From June 11 to 13, 2025, Lena Marie Uhlmann from the WOP team took part in the international symposium “The Next Big Questions on Loneliness: Integrating National and International Perspectives in Research and Policy Priorities”. The event took place as part of the Volkswagen Foundation's (Tackling) Loneliness theme week at Herrenhausen Palace in Hanover.

There, she presented a poster on her ongoing meta-analysis as part of her dissertation. The focus is on the question of how loneliness has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results so far indicate that loneliness fluctuated throughout the pandemic, increasing during lockdowns and then decreasing again during phases of relaxed measures. Interestingly, older adults initially exhibited lower loneliness levels than younger adults at the onset of the pandemic, but showed greater changes throughout the pandemic overall.

The symposium offered a wide range of stimuli - from exciting specialist presentations and interactive workshops to political perspectives from state, federal, and EU levels. A special highlight was the screening of the Korean documentary “Hug Me Tight: A Robot Story”, followed by a discussion with the filmmakers. The impressive backdrop of Herrenhausen Palace and the adjoining gardens rounded off the symposium in an atmospheric way.

Many thanks to the Volkswagen Foundation for the invitation, catering, and accommodation, as well as Prof. Maike Luhmann and her team for the excellent organization of this inspiring event.