On April 12th at 10:35 p.m. on ORF 2
Vienna (OTS) – Depending on the culture and era, old people are either respected and honored or subjected to discrimination and contempt. What is certain is that we are living longer than ever before: the average life expectancy in Austria is between 80 years for men and 84 years for women. There have never been as many centenarians as there are today. The new “Universum History” documentary “The Clockwork of Life – History of Ages” by Heike Nelsen and Florian Hartung (ORF editing: Judith Brandner) asks on Friday, April 12, 2024, at 10:35 p.m. on ORF 2, how societies have treated old people throughout history and reports new scientific findings about the physical aging process.
A long life is a precious gift. Old people can enrich others with their wealth of experience. But old age is also the time when strength decreases and infirmities increase. Why people have always longed to stop the aging process – forever young is a human fantasy.
In many cultures, old people are respected and honored; in some, old age is even considered the ideal stage of life. However, older people are also affected by exclusion and discrimination. The oldest work in the world, the Epic of Gilgamesh, is about age: the Sumerian King Gilgamesh is in search of eternal life and takes many risks to achieve it. In ancient Athens, the image of the elderly was contradictory – on the one hand, old people were publicly mocked in Greek comedy because their shapeless bodies no longer corresponded to the ideal of the time. On the other hand, in Sparta they enjoyed prestige and influence because life experience was combined with wisdom. The Romans honored the old men. Cicero praises them in his work “De Senectute”.
Women in particular have always felt the pressure to conform to the common ideal of eternal youth. The cosmetics industry benefits from this and promotes the cliché.
With Christianization in the Middle Ages, the Caritas idea emerged, which manifested itself in an institution, the hospital. It not only offered old people a roof over their heads, but also a carefree existence until death.
The documentary shows how societies have treated old people throughout history. While they previously had to work until they died or be cared for by their family, pension legislation – at least in Germany – in the 19th century turned the state into a welfare provider. The state replaced the family as provider and guaranteed retirement.
“Universum History” addresses the achievements that have fundamentally changed the lives of ancient people. New research findings about the physical aging process are reported. Scientists highlight the perspectives and challenges of aging.