An enamel thermometer—but not an ordinary one. Johannes J. Winges has created an instrument that doesn't measure temperature, but the state of a society. The „Democracy Meter“ (Ancient Greek: demos = people, metron = measure) shows two axes: on one side, democratic achievements such as free elections, rights, and sovereignty. On the other, their opposing forces—concentration of power, restriction, division.
The capillary inside is more than just mechanics. It's an analogy: the more civil society participates and connects, the higher the degree of popular sovereignty. The reverse is also true. Those who withdraw, who remain silent, who look away – they let the pointer drop.
In times of fake news, demagogues, and growing polarization, Winges reminds us that tolerance, participation, and freedom are not unshakeable achievements. Deeply held values can collapse. Faster than you might think. One's own "democracy meter" needs to be adjusted—again and again.
Johannes J. Winges (*1974 in Frankfurt/M) is a psychotherapist, social worker, and artist. Shaped early on by Christian communities, he refused military service and studied social work, later psychoanalysis, ancient history, and philosophy. His work—both therapeutic and artistic—focuses on the question of how people can thrive among people. The Demokrameter is his answer to this. Or at least an invitation to ask the question itself.
