What Happens When the State Reaches Its Limits? Disaster Management with Albrecht Brömme

PROTEKT LEIPZIG – 5TH SPECIAL EPISODE | FILL THE GAP

Albrecht Brömme looks back on decades of practical experience – as former President of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW), a leader at the Berlin Fire Brigade and a central coordinator during the coronavirus pandemic. Together we talk about what works when systems come under pressure, where bureaucracy helps – and where it paralyzes. Drawing on concrete examples from the pandemic, refugee crises, blackout scenarios and critical infrastructure, it becomes clear: disaster management is not a theoretical exercise but lived decision-making under time pressure.

The focus is on structural weaknesses and societal illusions: why Germany often manages crises “by the skin of its teeth,” why preparedness remains politically unattractive, and what Brömme calls “disaster amnesia” – the systematic forgetting between two crises. At the same time, it is about sharing responsibility: between the state, business, volunteers and the population. Because true resilience does not begin only in an emergency. An episode for anyone who wants to understand what disaster management looks like in practice – honest, experienced and without false reassurance.

🔍 About our guest: Albrecht Brömme was President of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW), led central units of the Berlin Fire Brigade and, during the coronavirus pandemic, was responsible for setting up treatment centers as well as testing and vaccination structures, among other things. He is considered one of the most distinguished experts on disaster management, civil protection and crisis resilience in Germany and is the author of the book “Germany in Crisis.”

⚙️ Why this matters: Pandemics, blackouts, extreme weather, hybrid threats and geopolitical crises pose growing challenges for the state and society. This episode shows why preparation matters more than reaction, where state systems reach their limits, and why individual preparedness, volunteering and pragmatic planning will become indispensable in the future.

🎙️ PROTEKT LEIPZIG As the leading conference for critical infrastructure, Protekt brings together public authorities, operators, security leaders, technology and academia – and creates a space for open, practical exchange.

Special thanks go to the Protekt organizing team for the professional on-site execution, as well as to the BSKI, which actively fosters and supports expert exchange within the critical-infrastructure community.

📬 Feedback or topic suggestions? fillthegap.podcast@concepture.de

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