Renowned German thinker Jurgen Habermas passes away at 96 years old

A file photo from August 6, 2013, shows German philosopher Juergen Habermas addressing journalists in an auditorium of the Philosophical School of Athens, a moment captured by LOUISA GOULIAMAKI / AFP.

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A spokesperson for Suhrkamp Verlag, the publishing house of renowned German philosopher Jurgen Habermas, announced his passing to AFP on Saturday, revealing that he had died at the age of 96 in Starnberg, southern Germany, according to information provided by his family.

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Habermas was widely regarded as the most influential German philosopher of his generation, having played a significant role in all major postwar debates, and he firmly believed that a united Europe was the only antidote to the rise of nationalism.

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In his later years, Habermas dedicated himself to promoting a federal European project, driven by a desire to prevent the continent from succumbing to nationalist rivalries, as it had in the 20th century.

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Throughout his life, Habermas consistently intertwined philosophy and politics, thought and action, leaving an indelible mark on the intellectual landscape of his time.

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Having served as a prominent voice for German student protest in the 1960s, Habermas later became a target of criticism thirty years later, as he warned against the dangers of "left-wing fascism".

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In 1989, he expressed criticism of the terms of German reunification, which he believed were overly driven by market demands, and resulted in the Deutsche mark becoming the standard.

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Born on June 18, 1929, in Duesseldorf, Habermas had been enrolled in the Hitler Youth as a young boy, although he was too young to have actively participated in the war, and was deeply affected by the collapse of Nazism as a teenager.