Interview: “Minimalism is also a consumer fantasy”

People have always liked to buy beautiful things if they had the means to do so, says historian Valentin Groebner in an interview. “Black Friday,” however, is a mysterious consumer festival.

tagesschau.de: Starting with today’s “Black Friday” we have several days of special discounts in store – retailers in Germany expect sales of up to six billion euros this year around this weekend. The day also calls out critics of consumerism, and environmental groups are even calling for the abolition of “Black Friday”. Is our consumption historically uniquely excessive?

Valentin Groebner: Criticism of consumer society usually assumes that only we are now so superficial and greedy for beautiful things, while our ancestors were much more sensible, virtuous and modest. However, historical research cannot confirm this. When societies and individuals have the means, they create shiny, beautiful new goods with great energy and determination.

“The hysterical collective makes you nervous”

tagesschau.de: When did this start?

Groebner: This happened in several waves – the so-called “consumer revolutions”. The first was in the late Middle Ages, i.e. from the 13th century. For the first time, Europeans had enough resources to buy all the tempting goods from the Near and Middle East – silk and cotton fabrics, glass, perfumes, soap, precious stones.

tagesschau.de: Even then, it was probably not just about satisfying basic needs.

Groebner: No. The coat made of spectacular colorful fabric should not only keep you warm, but also show what a great person the wearer is and how much money he can spend on exotic luxury. In any case, the idea of ​​a good old time in which people were not concerned with consumption, but with real piety, with the good Lord, with real values ​​- these good old times obviously never existed.

tagesschau.de: So consumption has always been kind of fun, even in the Middle Ages.

Groebner: Yes, but at the same time he always had a bad conscience. Luxury consumption is always both at the same time, a waste of collective resources and a promise of happiness, of individual wish fulfillment. However, “Black Friday” is a mystery to me. Most consumer festivals refer to something outside of the desire to buy that they stage. At Christmas it’s the shining children’s eyes, the Christmas tree, the nostalgia and the union with the family. But “Black Friday” only refers to itself, to buying something cheaply at low prices. The hysterical collective thing about it makes me a little nervous: “All of us together; only now, only on this day.”

Consuming as a “civic duty”?

tagesschau.de: This is probably the case for many people. What do you think of trends such as minimalism, i.e. approaches that advocate renunciation or at least reduction?

Groebner: One is part of the other. The criticism of consumerism emerged as a consequence of the increasing abundance of available goods since the 19th century, through the industrial revolution. However, demonstrative minimalism is not the opposite of mass production, but rather dialectically connected to it in a certain way. Living in an almost empty apartment with only a few items is also a consumer fantasy, namely that of particularly noble and durable items. And of course I can order these things from expensive mail order companies that specialize in this market segment. At the same time, it is also proof of my superior taste and my ability to do without the many cheap things. Minimalism demonstrates, above all, its own economic potential.

tagesschau.de: Not taking part in “Black Friday” – that could also be interpreted in this regard: I can afford to forego the discounts. But there are also clearer reasons to limit yourself. After all, we know about the ecological and social consequences of mass consumption.

Groebner: A consumer festival like “Black Friday” suggests: You can only get this great offer during these 24 hours, don’t miss it. We also think that if the Germans stop buying cars and new cars, then everything will collapse anyway. So consumption is also a duty.

tagesschau.de: What do you mean by that?

Groebner: In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was the duty of subjects to pray for the sovereign’s health and to have the right faith. In the 19th century, it was the duty of subjects to be obedient and follow all laws. In the 20th century, the duty of the subjects is to be good democrats, i.e. to vote and get involved. But since the 1950s, part of our responsibilities have also been to buy things and keep the economy going. So you should be a good citizen, protect the climate, but also consume properly. And this is of course a paradoxical invocation – one will never be able to fully fulfill these duties.

The interview was conducted by Meike Fries, tagesschau.de