In this article, I endeavor to explore the historical dimensions of "Bildung" by first focusing on the German linguist and philosopher Wilhelm von Humboldt and his theory of "Bildung." The article then addresses the transformation of Humboldt's neo-humanistic ideal into a governmentrun institutionalized "Bildung" aimed at managing and controlling the citizens. This historical transformation of "Bildung" in the late Enlightenment paves the way for a concept of "Bildung" attached to neoliberal ideals, propagating principles of the free market such as efficiency, measurability, and self-entrepreneurship. Although neoliberal principles became so integral to today's everyday practices that thinking outside the neoliberal box is nearly unthinkable, we can observe a metamorphosed kind of "Bildung" that goes beyond the neoliberal parameters. This new kind of "Bildung" is constituted by multimodal, ironic, playful, serious, critical, local, and transgressive forms of expression that are not to be found in textbooks or educational standards but on walls of cosmopolitan cities or diverse social networks. In this article I shall make the case that the conditions in today's age of globalization offer alternative avenues for "Bildung," which is inherently collaborative, interactive, and social, as once envisioned by Humboldt.