As a journalist Carolin Emcke pushes things to the limit. She often trades in her usual blazer for a bullet-proof vest to report from war zones and crisis areas the world over. She also writes about existential questions in her reports, books and essays. On Talking Germany, we speak to Carolin Emcke about life and death, tolerance and teamwork. Carolin Emcke likes being a witness, observing with out fear and an analytical mind. For 14 years now, she has been travelling to parts of the world stricken by crisis and strife together with photographer Sebastian Bolesch. Emcke goes to places people flee from – Afghanistan, Kosovo, Iraq and Gaza. She says she goes to be a witness and give victims their voice. She is also on a quest to discover how violence affects people. Born in Mülheim an der Ruhr to a German father and Argentinean mother in 1967, Carolin Emcke studied philosophy, history and political science in Frankfurt and London. She wrote a doctoral thesis in philosophy entitled "Collective Identities." Then Emcke went on to work for eight years in Hamburg for the German weekly news magazine, Der Spiegel.She has been a freelance publicist since 2007. Emcke came into the public eye as an author when in 2012 she published a book about discovering her own sexuality – in German – Wie wir begehren The publicist lives in Berlin, where she is deeply involved in the city's cultural life. She moderates podium discussions, organizes events and works as a curator for exhibitions. Emcke believes it is a journalist's job to get involved – intellectually and politically.