Justus Geilhufe, born in Saxony in 1990, is a theologian, pastor, author, podcaster and East German influencer.

He studied in Jena, Princeton, Munich and Leipzig and completed his doctorate in Göttingen, St Andrews and Rome. Today, he lives with his family in Großschirma and is pastor of the parish at Freiberg Cathedral.

What he opposes to Ostalgie is what he calls „OSTDOLCE VITA“, the conviction that beauty, meaning and community are not tied to better places, but to people who decide to stay.

With books, podcasts and a growing Instagram community (15k), he has built up a reach that extends far beyond church boundaries.

At the MACHN Festival 2026, he explains why East Germany doesn't need to be saved, but wants to be lived. It's about attitude, home and the question of what we actually mean when we talk about community.