Having grown up in Baden-Württemberg, lived in the DACH region, studied cultural studies, education and art history, explored fields of activity ranging from multimedia art and cultural mediation to the cooperative development of urban and rural spaces – empowering people to act and initiating change is Annelie Knust’s passion. Already during her studies, but also during her various work stations, she learned to question the status quo, to rethink the familiar, to filter out the essential and to preserve the tried and tested.

Her enthusiasm for actively shaping sustainable futures led her to the Andreas Hermes Akademie, where she became a policy advisor for rural development since 2025.